Choices
by cynosure23
Summary: Sometimes you make choices in life, and sometimes choices make you.
1. Chapter 1

**Surprise, my loves.**

 **I'm still working on the next chapter of** _ **Free,**_ **and that will be coming to you very shortly, but I couldn't wait to share this story with you as well. I'm trying something new here, so please bear with me as I work on this. I find myself struggling a lot to work through writers block when I'm only working on one story at a time- and I think this might help me some more.** _ **Free**_ **will remain my primary story, as that came first, and I will devote most of my writing time to that.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me guys, and I hope you enjoy this one. Please share your thoughts!**

… …

Choices. Our lives are riddled with them, made up of them, depend on them. And you don't get to make all of the choices that affect you on your own. Sometimes others make them for you, sometimes life has a way of not giving you a choice at all. You get to make some choices, but then there are the times that choices make _you._

Leaving that three hundred person town was my choice.

Coming back to it wasn't.

… …

"Mom, is everything okay?" I asked. I was in the line at Starbucks, desperate for my next caffeine fix, when my phone rang. That wasn't unusual- I was a busy woman. But it was unusual that my mother was calling me.

Our relationship had become…strained, to say the least, after I left the tiny town of Forks, Washington soon after my nineteenth birthday. Now I'm twenty five, and I haven't been back there since. I've seen my parents on holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions, but they come to me. That's the only way.

"Does something have to be wrong for me to call my only daughter?" My mother replied, her voice bright and cheery- but almost too much so.

"Well, considering that you never call me…" I trailed off, my voice laced with frustration.

"You know, that does work both ways, Izzy."

I sighed, pressing my free hand against my forehead. "Let's not argue," I suggested. "What's new, mom?"

I listened to her talk for a few minutes, about my dad, her job at the library, the book club she was a part of…it went on and on, past me placing my order with the barista and then picking it up.

"Mom, I'm actually on my way to work…" I said, trailing off and hoping she would get the hint without also getting offended.

"Well, I'll cut to the chase, then," she replied, the cheerful tone of her voice disappearing. "Izzy…you need to come home."

"Mom…" I started to protest, but she cut me off quickly.

"It's your brother."

… …

"Relax, Bella. We'll get along fine without you for a couple of days," my assistant assured me. "I'll call you with updates, and just text me if you need anything or want me to do something."

"I know, I know," I said, brushing my hair out of my eyes. "This is just not the time for me to be out of town…the holiday line is only launching in a few weeks, and there are a thousand little things that need to get done before then…I can't let this launch fail because of personal problems."

"Bella, I might be the only person in the world that knows your schedule better than you do," Alice said soothingly. "I know what needs to get done, and I'll make sure everything is covered. You're allowed to take time to be with your family."

I let out a deep breath, telling myself that I had hired Alice for a reason, and now I needed to trust her. "Thanks, Alice," I said, hugging her tightly. "Please call me if you need _anything,_ and make sure to keep me updated with what's going on. I want to stay in the loop. Oh, and the key-"

Alice laughed, cutting me off. "Trust me, Bella. I know this place like the back of my hand. Go. And I hope everything is okay."

I nodded, letting the enormity of the situation back at home wash over me for a moment. "Thank you. Me, too."

… …

I stared out the window of the plane, engrossed with the site of the world below me. I hadn't been on an airplane until after I turned twenty one years old, but in the last three or four years, I've flown countless times and been to cities that I hadn't even heard of back then. I hadn't been happy with my life, so I took it and with hard work and passion, I turned it into something that I was extremely proud of.

The hard work wasn't over, but I was finally in a place where I loved my life. And it made it even sweeter to know that everything I had was due to my own efforts. I had made something of myself all on my own.

If you would have told me six years ago that I would have started a makeup company, I would have thought you were crazy. Sure, I _liked_ makeup back then, but I hardly had any of it and didn't care too much about how I looked. After leaving Forks for Chicago, I had a hard time finding work. After all, I had no prior work experience and no education past high school.

The first job I could find was working at a beauty counter in Nordstrom, and it all exploded from there. After I started there, I found that I had a real passion for cosmetics and makeup artistry, so I shelled out part of my hard earned paycheck to become a certified makeup artist, and started doing freelance jobs on the side. It took a little while after that, but eventually I had developed a stellar reputation and all of a sudden, I was creating my own makeup company.

Violet Lane was a small company, obviously, but we were starting to gain some recognition and our sales were increasing with every passing month. I worked hard for what I had, but it was all starting to come together now, and I couldn't be more proud.

Of course, having someone to work for made it all the more better. After all, my makeup brand was just the namesake of what was really most important to me in this world- my daughter.

She had been a surprise, and it wasn't easy raising her as a single, working mother, but she made it all worth it.

I hadn't known that I was pregnant with her when I left Forks, but I think I would've made the same choice, regardless.

It was my choice to leave, and my choice to keep Violet even though I knew it would be hard. It had also been my choice not to tell her father about her existence. And sometimes, I hate myself for it.

… …

"C'mon, baby," I said, tugging on Violet's hand. "Time to go get our suitcases, and then you'll get to see Grandma and Grandpa."

"Yay!" Violet said, shouldering her purple backpack. "What about Uncle Jasper?"

I swallowed thickly, but smiled down at my little green eyed girl. "We might be able to visit Uncle Jasper later this week, sugar."

She was placated, and chattered aimlessly as we disembarked from the plane and made our way to the luggage claim. I quickly located my plain suitcase and her purple flowered one, and wasn't at all surprised when we left the terminal to find it pouring down rain outside. We stayed under the awning, watching it come down.

"Yuck," Violet remarked solemnly, scrunching up her button nose and making me laugh. "Hey!" She exclaimed suddenly, dropping my hand to point towards the car approaching. "That's grandma!"

Sure enough, my mom was out of my parents old car before my dad had even put it in park, and she scooped Violet up into her arms immediately. "Baby!" She cried, spinning her afraid in her arms and kissing all over her face.

And regardless of how much my mother and I had clashed during the last several years, I smiled. Despite the problems I had with my mom, she was the best grandmother to Violet and obviously loved her irrevocably. "Hey, mom," I said, pulling our suitcases behind me. "It's great to see you."

Mom squeezed Violet one more time before setting her on her own two years and then pulling me into her arms, instead. "Hi, Izzy," she replied, and I inhaled the familiar scent of her perfume. It was the same kind she had been wearing for as long as I could remember, and it was oddly soothing. "I missed you."

I smiled at her as we pulled apart, but the moment was cut short by a loud honk.

"Hey, this isn't a parking lot," my dad called through the open car window. Mom and I broke apart, and I ducked out from under the awning and hurriedly placed Violet into the booster seat they had already put in as my mom tossed our luggage in the trunk and then got into the car herself.

"Would you look at this," my dad said as he pulled away from the curb. "I've got all of my girls in one car."

Violet giggled loudly, and my dad didn't even seem to mind when her little feet kicked the back of his seat in her excitement. "Grandpa, I get to miss school this week," she informed him. "But mom said it was okay, just this once."

"Well, if your mom says it's okay…" my dad winked at me in the rearview mirror.

"Blossom, tell me what you've been learning in school," my mom said, turning her had towards the backseat. "Grandpa and I want to hear all about it."

The car ride from Port Angeles wasn't long, and I stayed mostly silent while my parents and Violet chatted. The landscape whizzed by me as I looked out the window, and I found it remarkable how familiar it all was. I had tried to tell myself that I had forgotten this place, that it wasn't a part of me anymore, but the longer we drove, the more I realized that wasn't true.

Maybe I had tried to run away, but this was where I was born and raised. I might feel like a different woman now, but this would always be where I came from. I didn't have a choice when it came to that.

… …

"How're you doing, mom?" I asked as soon as she pulled the door to my old bedroom shut behind us. We had just tucked Violet into bed, and the two of us were heading back downstairs.

"Oh, honey…" my mom sighed, shaking her head. "Let's just say I'm happy you and Violet are here now. You both brighten things up so much."

We sat down at the kitchen table, and although my dad didn't leave his spot in front of the television, I heard him turn the volume down so that he could hear us from the next room. "What happened?" I asked in a low voice. "Is he going to be okay?"

"It was an overdose," my mom said as she twisted her hands together. "But they think it was accidental. He was taking pain pills after he hurt his back last year at work, and his anti-psychotics and then he was taking some…some other things, too,. I'm not really sure. It's all been a haze, honestly."

"I'm sure," I murmured in reply, starting to get lost in my own thoughts.

Jasper was only a year older than me, and we had always been close when we were children. But he struggled as we grew older, dealing with his own demons and mental problems that emerged as he entered adulthood. When I left, Jasper probably took in the hardest. He was proud of me for all that I accomplished, and he adored his niece, but I always got the impression that he felt I had run away from _him_ , not just from Forks. I think it hurt him, and I couldn't help but put some of the blame on myself for what was happening now.

"They said we could visit him starting on Tuesday," my mom was saying. "I'm not sure if you want to bring Violet, though."

"It depends on how he's doing," I said honestly. "But…if I can't bring Vi, then I probably won't go. I want you and dad to be able to see him, and I can wait to visit until Wednesday or Thursday instead. I just don't have anyone to watch Violet."

She nodded, looking at me with a serious look on her face. "Have you…have you thought about what it means? Being back here?"

"Yeah," I answered honestly, swallowing thickly. "And I'm not sure of what to do. I feel like I'm in too deep, mom. She's five years old, mom. And I've done it all on my own all this time."

"But that was your choice," she reminded me gently. "You don't know how things would have been, if the circumstances were different."

"I know. And that's my fault. I'm…I'm worried about the consequences of my actions, mom. I know I made me choices, and I did what I thought was best not only for Violet but for me, too. I wouldn't go back on them, because look at how perfect Violet is, and how well we're doing. But god, mom. It's so hard with the fact that I probably did the wrong thing. For Violet, and for…for _him_."

My mom was silent for a minute. "Do you want to contact him, Izzy?"

"I don't know," I said, a little tearfully. "I don't even know who he is anymore…and I feel like he has every right to hate me for what I did."

"He's doing well," she said quietly. "He's got a job at the hospital…he used to come into the library to study in between his shifts at the diner while he was getting his degree. Still handsome. I think he lives over on the other side of town- over by the park. And he's got a girlfriend. Lauren, um…Lauren Mallory, I think."

I nodded, remembering a beautiful blonde who had been a few years behind us in school. "Does he seem like he's happy? I mean, with his life? I know you don't talk to him much, but it's a small town…"

"I see his mother at the library quite a bit, actually. And she's a part of our book club. She always has a smile on her face when she talks about him. I think he is happy."

"Good. I want him to be," I said honestly.

I did want him to be happy. I just hoped that the choices I had made years ago didn't affect his happiness.

… …

 **Thanks again, guys! What did you think? See you soon for the next chapter of** _ **Free- planning to update that tomorrow!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for your interest in this story! I'm so thankful that you're reading, and I hope you enjoy. Several people have asked, so I will go ahead and assure everyone that this story, like all of my others, will be an eventual HEA. Trust me!**

 **If you're interested, feel free to add me on facebook- my profile name is Cynosure Fanfic, and I'd love to see you there!**

 **I'm on a roll tonight- at the tail end of a 16 hour shift so I'm obviously running on nothing at caffeine at this point and that is resulting in lots of typing!**

… …

Violet was a deep sleeper. She always had been, even when she was a baby. It was almost midnight by the time I crawled into my old bed with her, but I stayed awake a little while longer. I watched her sleep for what had to be the millionth time and it never got old.

There was a pang in my chest when I realized that all the things I had experienced with her would never be replicated for her father, and that was because of me. I hadn't found out that I was pregnant until after I left this town, but after I did find out, I had been faced with a decision. And even though I wasn't really proud of the choice I had made now, it had been a very scary thing back then and I'd had no idea what I was doing.

I had called him once, twice, three times. I left one message. He never answered, or called me back. I took that as a sign, and from there, I never really looked back.

But now, as I looked down at my sleeping daughter, all I really saw was him. She had my dark brown curls, but everything else…his green eyes, full lips, crooked smile. She was like his little clone, and anyone who knew him would know immediately that she was his daughter. And because everybody knew everybody in this tiny town, I had to tell him sooner rather than later.

… …

"Mom, do you happen to have his address?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light and conversational as we did the dishes the following morning- her washing while I dried.

"I don't think I have the actual address, but I'm sure your dad knows," she replied, casting a glance towards the living room, where my dad and Violet were parked in front of the television.

"Vi, scoot back!" I called, waiting until she complied before turning back to my mother. "I have to go talk to him," I sighed. "I need to get it over with…it's been too long already."

"Five years too long," she said with a sharp look.

I knew she was right, but I didn't want to hear it right now. I had made some horrible decisions in the past, but now I was willing to face the consequences, no matter how hard it was going to be. Because I knew that this was what was best for not only him, but also for our daughter.

She was only five, and although she'd had some questions before, the issue with her father not being in the picture hadn't become too serious. It helped that one of her friends from play group was also raised by a single mother, and she hadn't started asking where her father was yet. The more I thought about it, the more I felt sick to my stomach. What if my selfish choice hurt her in some way?

And what if I had managed to damage her non-existent relationship with her father beyond repair?

… …

"He lives with his girlfriend," my dad warned, holding the slip of paper with his address written on it in his hand. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I'm sure," I said, but I heard my own voice shake. "Seriously, dad. I can do this. I made this choice, and now it's time to face the consequences of that choice. I have to do this."

My dad nodded, and handed me the slip of paper without another word.

I stared at it for a long time, but I couldn't put this off any longer.

I peeked in the mirror on my way out the door, satisfied with my appearance but also realizing that I looked completely different than I had the last time we had seen each other. I was an adult now, and so was he. We were different people. But now, we were linked together for the rest of our lives through the life of the daughter I had kept from him.

… …

The front door was red.

I took a deep breath as I stared at the door, gripping the steering wheel of my mom's car tightly. The door to the garage of the house open, and the only car parked there was the same one that he had driven while we were in high school. It was another reminder of how familiar we used to be. There was a time where we had known everything there was to know about each other.

But that time was long gone. We barely knew each other anymore.

I clutched my bag tightly as I walked up to the house, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt like I was going to faint as I reached for the doorbell, but I did it anyway.

A few moments passed, but then the door swung open and I was face to face with Edward Cullen for the first time since in six years.

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

That day started the same as any other Monday.

I worked three twelve hour shifts a week, and since today was an off day, I woke up at seven instead of six. I had my usual breakfast, and kissed Lauren goodbye at the door when she left for her job teaching third graders at Forks Elementary.

I tried to take advantage of the peace and quiet in order to clear my mind, but I was struggling.

Time seemed to pass faster the older I got. I wasn't getting any younger, and as Lauren loved to remind me, it was time to start settling down.

We had been together for the last two years, and although I did love Lauren, lately I had been feeling a lot more hesitant about moving forward. I wanted marriage, and I wanted kids, but…maybe things weren't right. But at the same time, maybe they were, and I just couldn't recognize it because I was hung up on a girl that had run out of my life and this town six years ago.

… …

The doorbell rang, which surprised me. I wasn't expecting anyone, or any packages, and my family members would never have the decency to actually ring the doorbell before coming into my house.

But then I opened the door, and I was no longer surprised. I was shocked.

I hadn't seen Bella Swan since the day we broke up, back when we were practically kids. She broke my heart, and I think I broke hers, too.

"Bella?" I asked incredulously, staring at her. It was Bella, alright, but not the Bella I knew before. She was older, obviously- I was, too. But there was something so different that seemed like more than just age. She had never been quite so put together before, and although she had always been beautiful, that beauty had grown as she aged.

"Hey, Edward," she said, smiling nervously. I saw her fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket, a nervous habit from when we were teenagers that she obviously hadn't been able to kick. "It's nice to see you."

"Yeah…" I replied, running my hand through my hair. "Um, do you want to come in?"

She nodded, and I stepped aside and held the door open for her. "How have you been?" I asked awkwardly as she entered the house.

"Good, good," she said, looking around curiously. "It's been a long time, huh?" She asked, cracking a smile to show me that she was uncomfortable, too.

"Definitely," I agreed. "I think the last time that we saw each other, you threw a promise ring at my head and told me that you never wanted to see me again."

"I have the same recollection," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, don't worry about it," I said with a shrug. "You always did have horrible aim."

She smiled again at that. "Can't argue with that, I guess."

"Also, I think I might have done something to elicit that reaction," I added. "I just…didn't expect you to skip town before we could make up."

"I didn't really come here to rehash all that," Bella said quickly, scrunching up her nose. "I was hoping that we could, um, talk. About some important stuff."

"Of course," I said, and gestured for her to have a seat at the kitchen table while sitting down at the spot across from it. "What's going on?"

"Edward…God, I don't even know how to say this," she began, and I found myself getting worried. "When I left, I planned on never coming back, ever. I wanted to get away from this tiny town, and find out who I really was," she started to explain, but she looked like panic was setting in. "I…well, I don't know if you remember, but a couple of weeks after I left, I tried to call you a few times? And, um, I think I left a message or two?"

"Yeah…sorry I didn't call you back, but, uh…I was kind of upset," I explained sheepishly, and she nodded.

"I understand. It's just that…I called you for a reason. And it was important. I should have tried to call again, or come back to see you, but I lost my nerve. I'm so sorry, Edward."

I stared at her, confused and a little scared. What could she possibly have to say that was so difficult? And what could it have to do with me?

"When I left Forks, I planned on never coming back," she repeated. "But I should have. Edward, I…I found out I was pregnant. That's when I tried to call you."

She was crying now, and I was still confused, but also shocked. _Pregnant?_ Bella had been pregnant. With _my_ baby. And that meant… "What…what the hell do you mean?" I asked, standing up from the table abruptly. "Bella, what is going on?"

"I was pregnant, and I had a baby," she confessed. "I had your baby. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You…you had _my baby_." I stared at her, my hands in my hair and my eyes wide. "Bella…"

Bella had my baby. Five, almost six years ago. I had a baby. No- not a baby. A child.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I messed up. God, I messed up so bad. I thought that I made the right choice, but now…I know that I didn't. I had to come back to Forks, but I knew I couldn't come back without telling you. I'm so sorry."

"What…I don't even know what to say…" I said, trailing off in disbelief. "Bella, what the _fuck_!"

"I know. I know." She stared at me with tears in her eyes, and a whole storm of emotions came crashing down on me. I didn't understand how I was feeling, and I couldn't put it into words. Nothing made since.

Not only did I have a child, but I had missed out on….on everything. Pregnancy. Birth. Sleepless nights with an infant. Teaching them to walk, talk…everything. Preschool, and then elementary school. There were almost six years that I had been completely absent for. And it wasn't even through my own choice. That's what hurt the most.

I was furious. And I was hurt. But there was a bigger feeling coming through. I knew that what was most important was that I had a child- and Bella was the way to him…or her.

"Is it…is it a boy or a girl?" I asked, surprised at the sudden calmness of my voice.

She looked stunned, too, as I slowly sunk back down into my chair.

"Um…um, girl," Bella finally said. "She's a girl. Violet. Violet Lane."

"Tell me. Tell me everything," I said, almost as a plea. "Everything."

… …

 **Well? Let me know what you think! Hope to see you guys again next week for the next chapter of** _ **Free**_ **!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Updating** _ **Free**_ **on Thursday, but for now, I have this.**

 **Thanks so much for your interest! Please continue to leave me your love.**

… …

We had started dating the summer before our freshman year of high school, and for a long time, everything was perfect. He was my everything, my _first_ everything, and we planned on being together forever.

That changed, but it happened gradually. And it wasn't just about us. After graduating high school, I started to feel trapped…in that town, and in our relationship. It was just that I felt like I didn't have a choice anymore. To everyone else, our future was planned out perfectly. Edward and I would get married, and then we would have lots of babies while Edward went to school to become a doctor just like his father. There had been a time when that was what I wanted for our future, too. But I think I wanted it for the wrong reasons.

I had already been planning on leaving, and I had hoped that maybe Edward would come with me. Maybe we could have written a new future from ourselves, one that also involved me finding myself and what I wanted in life.

But instead, we broke up and I had ended up taking off the promise ring he had given me when we were sixteen and leaving town.

I knew that I had broken his heart that night, but his unwillingness to compromise and change our plans so that I could be happy had broken my heart, too.

 _ **Then:**_

"I'm just saying that maybe we could rethink our plans. I just don't know what I want anymore," I admitted.

"So let me get this straight. You want us to up and leave the only place we've ever known our entire lives just because you all of a sudden don't know what you want?" Edward could get a little hot-headed at times, and I could already tell that this would be one of those times. "Because I _do_ know what I want. I want to finish school and work here at the hospital like my dad. I want to build a house out on the land my grandfather left me and I want to grow old there…with you. I want to marry you and have children with you. I want to do everything _we_ planned."

"But what if there's more for me somewhere out there?" I asked. "More for us?"

He looked at me for a long moment, confused and a little hurt. "You want me to give up my future for 'what if'?"

I had left fifteen minutes later, without the promise ring he had given me years before and with a broken heart. And I left town less than a week later.

 _ **Now:**_

I let out a deep breath, feeling some of the enormous weight that was resting on my shoulders lift. I still a lot to apologize for, and I had done damage beyond repair, but as least he seemed somewhat calm. For all that I had done, he had every right to be furious and refuse to talk to me. Instead, he wanted to know about everything I had forced him to miss out on.

And he had every right.

"She…she's perfect," I said, smiling as I wiped away my tears. "I'm so sorry, Edward," I repeated. "I'm sorry I kept you away from her, I'm sorry that you didn't get to know her…or even _about_ her, until now."

"That's a discussion for another time," he said firmly. "Yeah, we have a _lot_ to go over. And don't get me wrong, I'm…I'm furious about this. But I want to know. I want to know about my daughter before getting into just how you could do this to me."

He was right. I knew he was.

"I brought pictures," I said, reaching into my purse for the small album my mom usually kept with her. It only had about thirty pictures, but they were all the ones I had from when she was a baby here at my disposal. "And I have tons of more recent ones on my phone."

Edward was quiet as he looked through the album I offered, and he looked at each picture for a long time. I watched, and I felt like my heart was breaking as I watched him. His fingers brushed over Violet's face in one picture, one that my mom had taken of us soon after her birth. I looked like hell, but Violet was beautiful, as always.

He chuckled at a picture of her on her first birthday, her face covered with chocolate cake and purple frosting. "God, she looks just like me," he said quietly. "Even as a baby."

"Even more so, now," I agreed as I held my phone out to him. The most recent picture I had of her was pulled up, one that I had taken just three days before of her holding some of the new products that we were demoing for the holiday launch coming up.

"What is she holding?" He asked, taking my phone from me and studying the picture. "It's got her name on it."

"Um, yeah," I said, suddenly feeling a little bashful. This was a man that used to know me down to my very soul. And now…my choices had led to us being almost strangers again, only linked through a beautiful little girl that carried equal parts me and him. "That's actually some products from my line. It's named after her, hence her name being on the packaging."

"Wow. You have your own line?" He asked incredulously, looking up at me. "What is it?"

I laughed awkwardly, but took my phone back when it offered it. "It's makeup, actually," I explained. "I really got into makeup after I left. I started working at a beauty counter in a department store and then I started freelancing as a makeup artist. And it just kind of snowballed from there."

"Where did you go?" He asked. "When you left?"

"Chicago," I answered. "I thought about going to New York, but my truck didn't make it that far."

He just nodded, having already returned his attention to the photo album again.

"Why'd you keep her from me, Bella?" He asked after finally reaching the last page of the album. "I can sort of comprehend why you didn't tell me right away. But it's been years. _Five_ years. She's…not a baby anymore, she a little person, my daughter. Our daughter."

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "I told myself from the beginning that it was for the best. I know that's not true. It's just the only way I could stomach it, I think."

Edward was still staring at me. "That makes no sense," he said coolly. "It's not like you didn't know where to find me, Bella. Or like your family doesn't live three fucking miles away from me. Or that…that I'm a bad guy or something. I know I might not have been the greatest back then but I've never been a bad guy."

"No, I know…you're not a bad guy, Edward."

"Why'd you leave?"

"There was never anything here for me."

"Wow, thanks a lot. And I'm sure your family really appreciates that, too," Edward bit back, his previous calmness dissipating a little more.

"That's not what I mean. There was nothing here for _me_. I had my family, I had my friends, and yeah, I had you. But I couldn't stay here for other people. This place isn't for me, Edward, okay? It never has been. I had no prospects here other than…than marrying you and staying at home with our kids while you worked through medical school and became a doctor just like your dad."

"Yeah, well, that didn't happen, did it?" Edward said bitterly. "Why couldn't you have…I dunno, told me that?"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Can we not talk about that part of things right now? I came here to tell you about your daughter, and see where you'd like to go from here."

"Where I'd like to go from here? Well, for starters, I want to meet my kid. God…" he trailed off for a moment again, his body sagging as the anger seemed to leave him momentarily. "Does she know about me, Bella? Has she…has she asked about me?"

"A little," I admitted. "But not a lot so far. She hasn't realized what she's missing…what I've taken away from her. And you. I know that I have to live with the choice I made, and that it's my fault, but I want to start fixing this problem. That's why I'm here."

"As furious as I am…and as hurt as I am, I can appreciate that you're here now. Because I want to meet her- I need to meet her. Now."

I felt so relieved that he was being so level-headed, given all that I had done and how badly I had handled this, but I knew that it would not be in Violet's best interest to throw Edward into her life suddenly and without warning.

"Let me talk to her first," I implored. "This is huge, and I don't want to blindside her and hurt her any further.

"Fine," he grudgingly agreed. "How long?"

"Um…I'll talk to her about it tonight. My parents will be out of town tomorrow, so if everything goes well…maybe we could have lunch tomorrow. The three of us, I mean."

It was faster than I would have liked, but there were the consequences I had to face. Edward deserved to know his daughter, and I couldn't keep her away any longer.

… …

"How was your day, baby?" I asked, pulling Violet into my lap.

"Mom! I'm too big," she protested, but she stayed on my lap all the same.

I hugged her tightly, and my heart panged. She was the best part of my life, but I had denied her father that privilege. "Did you have fun with grandpa?" I asked, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Yes," she said quickly. "We watched a movie, and we went to visit Grandma at her work. And I got a book card!" She exclaimed, scrambling off of my lap and heading straight for her backpack. She dug out a library card for the Forks Public Library and presented it to me proudly. "See? Grandma said I can get any book I want with it. Grandpa helped me pick one out."

I looked at the card, loving how she had scrawled out of her name in her horrible, five year old handwriting. _Violet Lane Swan_. I had thought about giving her her father's last name when she was born, and I'm not actually sure why I didn't go through with it.

I realized that Violet was still talking, so I quickly refocused on her.

"See? Grandpa said that you liked this book when you were a little, too," she was saying.

I grinned at the book she was holding; it had been my favorite, and Jasper's too, when we were kids. "I _did_ like this book!" I exclaimed, tickling her belly. "I loved it. What do you think? Do you like it?"

"I love it, too," Violet agreed, flipping through the pages.

"Violet? Put the book down for a minute, baby, and come sit with me again," I said, drawing her back into my lap with no protest from her.

I inhaled her sweet scent, and kissed her soft skin. I had missed her today, and it had only been a few hours. Something about being back here made me feel more sentimental than ever.

"Am I in trouble?" Violet asked, and I laughed.

"No, baby, you're not in trouble," I promised. "I just wanted to talk to you about what _I_ did today. Do you want to hear?"

"Oh," she replied with some relief in her voice. "Yeah!"

"I went to see an old friend," I began, my voice quiet. "One I haven't seen in a long time. Um, Vi, do you remember what I told you about mommy's and daddy's? That sometimes, even though they love their babies, they can't be with each other?"

She just nodded, and I continued. "Well, the friend I went to see today was actually _your_ daddy."

"I thought…I thought daddy wasn't with us."

"He hasn't been, but that's only because when you were born, mommy was a little selfish and I decided that it would be better that you stayed with just me. But that's not fair, is it? Not to you, and not to your daddy."

"So why hasn't daddy come and visited me?" she asked, and the look on her face really made me despise myself.

"Baby, daddy didn't even know that he was a daddy," I explained. "Because I thought that he didn't need to know. I wanted to keep you all to myself. But that was wrong of me, okay? Now your daddy knows about you, and he wants to meet you so, so badly. Does that sound okay to you? Do you want to meet him?"

I had no idea if I was doing this right. Maybe I should have thought about it more, or consulted someone. What if I was just making an even bigger mess of things?

"Yeah," Violet said simply.

"Oh, good, baby. I'm sorry that you haven't gotten to meet him before. That's my fault, okay? Mommy messed up. I was bad."

"Did you have time out?" Violet asked, her angelic face serious. "Because you always make me have time out when I'm bad."

I laughed, because she seemed okay. I had messed up, but maybe it wasn't too late.

… …

 **Thanks again. Let me know your thoughts!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well. Thanks for reading- I hope you're enjoying this! I love hearing from you, so feel free to let know what you're thinking : )**

… …

"What do you want to wear today, Blossom?" I asked, tickling the bottoms of Violet's feet as she sat sprawled out on the bed we were still sharing. We had just finished breakfast with my parents, and then waved them off as they left to make the trip over to Seattle. There hadn't been much of a change with Jasper, and although I was desperate to see my brother, I knew that this had to come first. I would get to see him tomorrow. So I just wanted to keep this, what's happening to today with my daughter, on the forefront of my mind today.

"My rain boots," she replied in between giggles, kicking her feet. "And my blue dress."

I obliged, pulling the clothes out of the dresser and her boots out of the suitcase. "You need a raincoat too," I said, letting her dress herself while I slipped into my shoes and socks.

"Will you do my makeup?" Violet asked, batting her eyelashes at me after she had pulled on her dress and boots.

I usually didn't like putting makeup on my baby, even though it was my passion in life and what I was building my future on. But Violet loved it, even though the "makeup" I put on her was little more than lip balm and translucent powder. I also had a sneaking feeling that she wanted to look extra pretty in anticipation of meeting her father. So I catered to her, even letting her wear a little bit of clear mascara on her lashes.

She was so beautiful, and once again, I noticed how much she looked like her father.

"Are you nervous, baby?" I asked, watching her closely as I waited for her answer.

"I don't know," she said simply, looking at herself in the mirror. "Will he…will he like me?" she asked suddenly, and I was overcome with regret.

My daughter should never have to ask me that question. And it was my fault that she did.

"Of course, Vi," I said, exhaling loudly. "He'll love you. Just like I do."

… …

We sat in the car- the car that Jasper had driven while he was in high school, outside of the diner where Edward had agreed to meet him.

Violet had moved up to the passenger seat after I had put the car in park, and we were watching for Edward.

"Is that him?" She asked, giggling as she pointed to an elderly man entering the diner. "Or him?" She was pointing to every man who walked by, regardless of their age. At least she seemed to be having fun with it.

"You're so silly," I remarked, loving her playful smile.

I smiled back at her, but my smile fell from my lips as I noticed Edward pulling into the dinner in his old Volvo. I watched as he parked and exited his car, hurrying into the diner to avoid the light rain that was falling. He was wearing scrubs, and he looked nervous.

"That was him, wasn't it?" Violet asked, her eyes a little wide.

"Sure was," I replied, trying to sound normal. "Are you ready to go inside?"

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes glued to the door of the diner. But then she looked at me, and although I had been so nervous, she calmed me with. "Yeah," she said, even giving me a little lopsided grin.

We held hands as we walked in the door, and Edward spun around, his eyes immediately landing on Violet. She had never really been shy, but today she bashfully tucked herself against my side.

"Violet," I said, squatting down slightly so that I was on her level. "Violet, I want you to meet Edward. He's…he's your dad," I said, looking deep into her eyes.

"Hi, Violet," Edward said, a little awkwardly. "It's really, really good to meet you. I, um, brought you something," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I hope you like it."

She watched with wide eyes as he held what looked like a necklace out to her. "Go ahead," I said, nudging her. "You can take it."

Violet did so, holding it out to me so that I could see. It was a necklace- a simple purple charm on a short silver chain. "Thank you," she said, peeking up at him. "Can I wear it?"

"Oh, of course," Edward said, taking it back and fumbling with the clasp. Violet turned her back to him so that he could put the chain around her neck, and he made eye contact with me. He looked terrified, but also thrilled. I couldn't even imagine how he was feeling right now; what was going through his mind.

"Maybe we should grab a table," I said a few moments later, squeezing Violet's hand in mine.

Edward nodded, and we filed behind him to a table situated towards the back.

"Are you a doctor?" Violet asked after we sat down, looking at the baby blue scrubs Edward wore.

"No, I'm a nurse," Edward said. "I thought about being a doctor, but, well, it just wasn't for me."

This was news to me. After all, back then, Edward had more than "thought about" becoming a doctor. It had practically been written in stone; it was what his plan for "our" future had been built upon. Obviously that hadn't happened, and I wondered why. He had changed his mind eventually- why wouldn't he have done that for me?

"My dad is a doctor, though," Edward was saying. "We both work at the hospital here."

Violet nodded her head, looking curious. "Is that my grandpa?" she asked with a crinkled nose. "Because Grandpa Charlie is already my grandpa. He helped me get my book card yesterday. See?" She pulled the book she had gotten from the library yesterday out of her backpack and eagerly showed it to Edward.

He looked a little lost, so I spoke up. I knew that Violet, like all kids her age, went a mile a minute and obviously, Edward was brand new to this. I didn't blame him.

"No, Vi, you have two grandma's and two grandpa's," I explained as Edward flipped through her book with what looked like genuine interest. "Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Rae are my parents, so…your, um, your daddy's parents are your other grandparents."

Violet's attention had already been lost to her book, though, and I took that moment to realize that it wasn't just Edward I had kept out of Violet's life- she had a whole other set of family members that she didn't even know about.

"Here, baby," I said suddenly, digging through my purse and finding two quarters. "I see a gumball machine over there, why don't you go get one for yourself and Edward. I mean, your dad. I'll order you chicken fingers when they come get our order."

She took the quarters and ran off happily, and I took a deep breath before turning to Edward. "I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I just got a little overwhelmed there. Did you…have you had a chance to tell your parents about this? Or your sister?"

"Ah, no, not really," Edward admitted. "I kind of wanted some time to process this all myself, before telling them. I should probably head over there when we're done here, though," he said, smiling nervously. "Word spreads pretty fast around here," he added darkly.

I nodded in agreement- this _was_ a small town, and that was one of the reasons this had all happened so quickly. If you wanted to be the one to tell someone something after word had already gotten out, then you had to work fast.

"You don't have to work?" I asked, gesturing to his scrubs after the waitress had come and quickly taken our simple lunch order.

"I usually work three twelve hour shifts a week," he said. "But I took a half day today…I worked from six this morning until noon. I figured I would need this afternoon to…you know, figure stuff out. Plus I didn't want to rush our lunch. Or my time with her. God, Bella…she's perfect, isn't she? And she seems so smart."

"Here," Violet returned abruptly to the table, out of breath but beaming as she held out two gumballs- one purple, one green. "I get the purple one," she said to Edward. "Because purple is another word for 'Violet'. Did you know that?" She didn't wait for him to answer before continuing her chatter. "And purple is my favorite. You can have the green. Do you like green? If not, you have to ask mommy for another quarter."

Edward just grinned at her as he accepted the green gumball. "Well, I like purple, too, but green is _my_ favorite."

Violet grinned back, popping the purple one into her mouth and chomping down. "Green is mommy's favorite, too," she informed him, and I felt my cheeks color slightly. She was right, of course- green _was_ my favorite color, and had been since I was thirteen, first because of Edward's green eyes, and then because of those same green eyes on our daughter.

I sat back in silence for a while and watched as my daughter and her father talked. And talk they did. Even after our food came, they talked. Violet seemed enamored, and I knew she loved the well-deserved attention he was giving her.

And if Violet was enamored, then I didn't even know how to describe Edward. He looked like the happiest man on earth.

… …

We stood next to each other as we watched Violet play on the swings, and it felt odd to be so close to him again.

"So…you've been good?" I asked, not talking my eyes off of Violet.

"Yeah," Edward said. "Pretty good."

I nodded, jamming my hands into the pockets of my thin rain coat. "Is she…is she what you expected?" I asked, gesturing to Violet.

"No," Edward said simply, shaking his head. "She's more. I…I love her, Bella. Is that normal? I don't even know her. But I love her."

"I loved her that fast, too," I assured him. "She's very easy to love. And she is ours, after all. I think our hearts know that."

"I worried that she would hate me," Edward continued. "Because I haven't been around. I was up most of the night worrying."

"She doesn't hate you. I told her the truth- that you didn't know about her. That I had kept her to myself. But even if that wasn't how things happened, she'd still love you. That's Violet."

"I still don't understand how you could do this. Keep her from me. What have I missed out on, Bella?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered, repeating the words yet again but knowing it didn't help. "I wish I could go back and change it."

He nodded, not saying anything else.

The silence hung between us for the rest of the afternoon.

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"Hey, is Chinese okay for dinner?" Lauren said in way of greeting, kissing me on the lips as she came into the living room. "I don't feel like cooking tonight."

That wasn't new- Lauren hadn't felt like cooking in the entire two years that we'd been together. If I wasn't cooking dinner, then it was takeout for dinner in the Cullen-Mallory household "That's fine," I said absentmindedly, flipping through the channels on the television. "Pork fried rice for me." I heard her calling to place our order, and then she joined me on the couch.

"How was work today?" she asked, slipping her hands under the hem of my tee shirt as she curled up against my side.

"Fine," I said, shifting away from her cold hands. "How was your class today? And your PTA meeting?"

I listened halfheartedly as she talked, but all I could really focus on was my thoughts about Violet and our afternoon together.

"Edward…" Lauren hands were still on me, and I recognized the tone of her voice. "Have you thought anymore about what I said the other night?"

"A little," I lied, trying not to look at her.

"We're not getting any younger," she reminded me…again. "And what's the point in putting it off? We live together, we both have our careers…we've been together for two years. C'mon, Edward. You have to give me something here. Don't you love me?"

I sighed, hating her method of persuasion. "Lauren, don't do this," I said irritably. "You know I love you. That doesn't mean I'm ready for all of that. Can't we just be happy with what we have right now? Yeah, we're not getting any younger. But I'm twenty five, not forty. And you're only twenty three. I don't think we need to worry about our biological clocks just yet."

"You'd be a great father," Lauren said quietly, and I felt like I had been kicked in the gut.

I _was_ a father. Now how was I supposed to tell my girlfriend that?

… …

Even though I had planned on talking to my parents and my sister after my afternoon with Bella and Violet, I had chickened out.

My relationship with my father had become strained after I had gone into nursing instead of following in his footsteps and becoming a doctor. While I did think that he and my mother respected that it was my choice, he didn't hid the fact that he was disappointed by my "wasted potential". My mother, ever the peacekeeper, did everything she could to bring us back together. Thanks to her efforts, things weren't nearly as bad as they could be…it was just a little uncomfortable.

I knew that they had to be told about Violet. But I had no idea how to go about it. After all, I had only known about my daughter's existence for a couple of days. And I had spent a total of four hours with her. I was already head over heels in love with her, of course, but I didn't know how these things worked. She didn't come into my life slowly. I didn't have nine months to think about my future child, or time to get used to the idea of being a father.

Now I found myself standing on my parents doorstep, still unsure about what I was going to say.

But now I knew what it was life to be kept out of Violet's life, and I wouldn't wish that feeling on my parents. Putting it off further would probably just hurt them more. It was now or never.

… …


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is Bella, and we get to meet Jasper. Edward and his talk with his parents and yes, Lauren, will be next chapter.**

… …

I hovered in the doorway, feeling sick to my stomach.

Jasper's head turned, and he smiled weakly when he saw me standing there. "Hey, Izzy," he said, giving me a bigger smile. "You came."

"Of course I came," I said, coming to his side. "Jasper…"

"Shh," he said, catching my hand in his. "I'm sorry, Iz. Please don't be upset."

"Don't apologize," I scolded gently. "It should be me apologizing to you. I wish I had been here for you. Maybe things would've been different."

"Don't blame yourself, This is about me." He craned his neck to look around me. "No Violet?"

"I wasn't sure this was the best place for her," I admitted. "But she did make this for you." I reached into my bag for the picture Violet had drawn for her Uncle Jasper.

Jasper smiled- that smile that was reserved for his niece. I had built a good life for myself and my daughter, but again I was reminded of what all I had left behind and therefore kept my daughter away from, too.

My parents came to Chicago three times a year- Violet's birthday, which coincidentally always fell near Father's day, and then Christmas and Mother's day. Jasper usually came along for Christmas, but he hadn't always been able to get away. Violet knew and loved her family, my family, but how much had I deprived her of by keeping her out of Forks.

And not only that- I had left, and now my brother was here, in the psychiatric ward of Northwest Hospital.

"How're you doing?" I asked, sitting down in the chair next to his hospital bed. "And don't lie to me."

"I've been better," he said with a grimace. "It was an accident, Izzy. I swear."

I nodded, fighting back tears as I looked at my older brother. My sweet, gentle brother, who had always been there for me. And where had I been when he needed me?

"Don't bear yourself up," Jasper said, interrupting my thoughts. "We've both made some bad decisions, but this one was all me. I knew that I was taking a lot of meds, and I should have been more careful. Ive been in a bad place, I know, but I didn't do it on purpose. I promise."

"I believe you, I just wish you weren't struggling," I explained. "I wish you had the ability to see yourself the way I do. And I want you to know that you are never alone in this."

Jasper smiled sweetly, reaching out to pat me on the cheek. "Thank you, Izzy. That helps. It really, truly does. And thank you for dropping everything and coming out here. I know that wasn't easy for you to do. I know you left for a reason."

"I left to find myself," I said simply. "And I did. Not only that, I made a life for myself that would have never been possible if you hadn't convinced me to go…and then to stay."

"You're my baby sister. I want you to have the whole world."

"I want the same for my big brother," I pointed out. "I need you to take care of yourself." He just nodded, so I continued. "When do you get to leave?" I asked. "Violet and I fly out on Saturday…we could have Mom and Dad bring us by for a visit before the airport if you're still here."

"Nah, Izzy. I don't want Violet in this place, and I know you really don't, either. Otherwise you would have brought her with you today. But I'm optimistic- this is a short term ward, for the most part, and I've been cooperative. I think they know it really was just an accident; me being careless. I'm going to let the doc here take a crack at my med list, maybe make a few adjustments, and then I'm checking myself out on Friday. This was voluntary, after all. I opted to come here after being discharged from the ER."

"Good," I said, relieved. "Violet and I will come pick you up on Friday- no objections. There's nothing wrong with her coming along to pick you up, and I know she's eager to see you."

Jasper grumbled a little, but agreed. I knew that he was itching to see her, too.

Then I realized that I had yet to tell my brother about everything that had happened over the last few days.

"Violet and Edward met," I blurted out, and Jasper's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Yesterday."

"God, Izzy…" he shifted in his hospital bed, and then patted the free space next to him as an invitation to join him.

I did so, and leaned my head against my brother's shoulder. "It was okay," I said quietly. "He's completely in love with her."

"Of course he is. She's Violet," Jasper said easily. "And she looks just like him." It sounded like an innocent comment, but I knew my brother- it wasn't.

"Hush," I said, elbowing him gently. "He was nineteen then. I don't think he's like that anymore. And Jasper…it was very wrong of me to not tell Edward about Violet."

"Hey- he's the one who didn't answer your calls," Jasper pointed out bitterly.

"That's true, but that was just when I found out that I was pregnant. Since then, I've had almost six _years_ ' worth of chances to let him know that he's a father- that he has a daughter. Now, they've met, and I can't believe I could have ever been so horrible as to keep her away from him, and him away from her. He's her father, Jasper. Regardless of my relationship with him, they deserved to know each other. Now he's missed things… _she's_ missed things, and it's all my fault."

He sighed, tipping his head back and staring up at the ceiling. "It seemed right at the time. But I can see what you mean."

"And it's not just about what he's been left out of- forget him for a minute. It's about her. Think about it. She's had an…unconventional, I guess, upbringing, and we all played a part in making it that way."

It was true. Although my parents had always been extremely private people, partially because of my father being the chief of police in Forks, they had never gotten to brag about their granddaughter to the whole town, or to keep her at their house for the weekend. It all had seemed so inconsequential before, but now, the impact on her and on my family felt painfully clear. And it was not just my family that I had to worry about.

"Tell me everything," Jasper finally said, and I did.

It all came tumbling out of my mouth- how I saw Edward for the first time since I was nineteen, and had to tell him about his daughter almost six years too late. How they had finally gotten to meet, and how I had no idea pf were to go from here.

Getting it all off my chest felt good, but the knowledge that this whole issue was not yet solved still ruminated.

"I'm sorry for the part I played in this, too," Jasper said after I was finished.

"It's not your fault," I assured him. "This is on me."

A few more minutes passed before a nurse poked her head into the room. "Jasper, visiting hours are over," she said. Her voice was a little stern, but she smiled at both of us. "Dr. Forrest is holding a group CBT session before dinner, if you want to join them in the open space." Jasper agreed, and then the nurse smile at me. "You're welcome to walk with him and say goodbye on your way out."

"Thank you," I said to her retreating figure. I did as she suggested, walking with Jasper down the hall and giving him a hug and a kiss goodbye before he had gone in to join the group gathered in what looked more like a conference room than a room located in a psychiatric ward.

I felt better as I started to drive back to Forks. I had been so worried for my brother, and seeing him today had helped alleviate that. I was still concerned, because these problems were not short term, but I had father in Jasper. He would keep trying to overcome.

Then my thoughts drifted to something I was far less optimistic about- Carlisle and Esme Cullen.

After being with their son for such a long time, I had come to know them well Carlisle Cullen was a doctor, and his wife had always been the perfect homemaker. Her cookies were legendary at the Forks Elementary School bake sales, and her home had been featured in the pages of more than a handle of interior decorating magazines. I remembered Carlisle have extremely high standards. Edward and his older sister, Rosalie, had always been groomed by both parents to go far in life.

It was one of the reasons why Edward had always had such an archaic idea of what our future "should" have been- his parents lived that life, and they were thriving.

Not only was I worried about them, I knew that Edward and I also still had so much to talk about. Things were going to change, and I felt like I had been spared his anger before because he had been so shocked. I knew I deserved it, but that didn't make it any easier.

… …

"Where's Violet today?" Edward asked, stepping aside so that I could come into the house.

"With my dad again," I explained, crossing my arms over my chest awkwardly.

"Oh. Okay. Um, come and sit down," he said, gesturing for me to join him at the kitchen table again. "I guess we have a lot to talk about."

I nodded, wondering where we would even begin. "Yeah, definitely."

"How could you do this, Bella?" He asked, his voice low. "I still don't understand."

"There's not a good excuse, and I'm not going to pretend like there was," I admitted. "I was selfish, and immature. All I can do is apologize. I am sorry."

"Regardless of how you felt about me, you should have told me. So what if I didn't answer my phone? Yeah, maybe that was immature of _me_ , but god Bella, it was more than that. I didn't answer my phone, or reply to that message. But then five more years went by. And now there's a little girl out there who looks just like me, and whose life I've missed out on completely. Because of you."

It was true, so I let him continue.

"And now what? You go back to Chicago, taking her with you? And I'm out of the picture again? No. I want her."

"Edward. She lives in Chicago," I said gently. "Her school, all her friends, and not to mention _me_. Regardless of my bad choices, I am her mother. She can't stay here 100% of the time."

"Well, then what do I get? 50%? 50-50 custody?" Edward asked. "Should I get a lawyer?"

"I wouldn't be offended if you wanted to involve lawyers. Maybe if it's what we end up needing. Do you think we can figure this out on our own? And keep things civil?"

"I'd like to," Edward said, running his hand through his short hair.

"This is a stretch, but would you consider moving?" I asked, twisting my hands together in my lap. "To Chicago?"

"Bella…" Edward said, shaking his head. " _My_ life is here. My job, my family, my girlfriend. Why can't you move here?"

"My business is in Chicago," I pointed out. "Maybe we don't need to figure everything out right now. Think short term, instead of long term. Thanksgiving break in a month. She has the whole week off from school."

"You'll bring her here?" Edward asked eagerly.

"I can," I said. "Or you can come to Chicago."

"Well, I'd like her to come here. I, um, I told my parents yesterday. You can imagine how they reacted, I'm sure."

I nodded. "Oh. Yes, I can."

"They want to meet her, of course. I figured that now probably wasn't the best time, since you're leaving on Saturday. And I'd like a little more time with her first before my parents and my sisters get the chance to meet her. You said I could see her tomorrow?"

"Of course," I replied. "Come over to the house."

"Actually, I wondered if you could bring her here. To see where I live."

"Oh, um, sure," I said, looking around. "My dad…um, my dad said that you live with someone?"

"Yeah," Edward said shortly. "Lauren. Lauren Mallory. She's my girlfriend…I don't know if you remember her from school, she's a few years younger. But we've been dating for a couple of years. I told her yesterday."

"And?" I asked, even though it might not have been any of my business.

"She was shocked," he admitted. "And not happy with me. But she's getting used to the idea."

"Does she want to meet Violet? Because, um, no offense, but I'd like to meet her first."

"What? Don't trust my judgment?" His voice was teasing, but the look he was giving me was anything but playful.

"She's a stranger to me," I reminded him. "And Violet is my daughter."

"Violet was a stranger to _me_ until yesterday," Edward bit back.

"Yep, and I met you before you met her," I said, trying to keep my cool. "Come on, Edward. Please."

Edward started to say something in reply, but we were interrupted by the sound of the garage door opening.

"Looks like you got your wish," Edward said with a slight grimace. "Lauren's home."

… …

 **Let me know what you thought!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Back to Edward for this chapter- then we'll pick up where we left off last time.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"Edward!" My mom pulled the front door open wider when she saw that it was me standing on the front porch. "Was your father expecting you, or is this just a pleasant surprise?"

"It's a surprise," I said, kissing her on the cheek as I stepped into my childhood home.

It had hardly changed at all in the five years that had passed since I had finally moved out. Pictures of Rosalie and I still covered the walls, and I could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. I had loved this house when I was growing up. To me, it symbolized everything I wanted for my own future. I realized just a little too late that I didn't want to be like my father.

"Can I get you something to drink Or do you want a snack? Oh, no- you know what? Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes- please stay and eat with us."

"Sure," I agreed, peeking down the hallway towards my dad's office. The door was open, but the light wasn't on. "Is dad home yet? I actually really need to talk to both of you."

"He's due home any minute." My mom frowned at me. "Is everything okay, honey? You look a little…frazzled."

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could speak, I heard the garage door open.

"Oh, that's him," My mom said, gesturing for me to follow her into the kitchen. "Help me set the table, honey. We can talk while we eat."

Doing as she asked, I began the familiar task from my childhood. I had always set the table for four when I was a kid- three if my father was stuck at the hospital. But by the time I started high school, I usually set the table for five- Bella Swan had practically become a permanent fixture in our home.

Today, I just set the table for three.

"Something smells good." My father breezed into the kitchen, setting his briefcase down on the desk near the door. He kissed my mother briefly, then regarded me with surprise. "Edward! Don't tell me it's Christmas already." I ignored his little joke, shaking his offered hand. "What're you doing here, son? I looked for you yesterday at the hospital but Angela said you only worked a half shift. Everything okay?"

I didn't think he really cared, so I just shrugged my shoulders and tried to appear nonchalant. "That's sort of why I'm here- I need to talk to you two about something."

My father and I sat down at the table, but remained quiet except for a little small talk while my mother finished up dinner. Only a few minutes passed before she was placing the full dishes on the table in front of us. She filled my father's plate first, then mine, before serving herself.

"Esme ,a glass of water please," my dad said, and my mom immediately put down her silverware, got to her feet, and got him a glass of water.

This was what I had grown up with, and it hadn't been until I had lived on my own and then with Lauren that I had realized that it was fairly outdated practice. My mother constantly catered to my father, and while she seemed happy to do it, I didn't think that my father was appreciative enough. I knew that growing up this way was one of the reasons I'd had a plan that I know recognized as archaic in my mind for so long.

"So, Edward, what did you want to talk to us about?" My mom asked after she had sat back down at the table.

"Have you looked into those brochures I gave you?" My father asked, and I rolled my eyes.

Every few months, my father slipped brochures and information about medical schools and nurse practitioner programs into my locker at work. It infuriated me to no end. I _liked_ being a nurse, and I no longer harbored any desire to go to medical school. Those dreams were dead, even if they had died just a little too late.

I chose to ignore my father's comment and instead turned to my mother. "I saw Bella Swan on Monday," I said quietly, watching as her eyes widened slightly.

"Wow," she chuckled softly. "It's been a while since I've heard that name."

"Hmm. Now that you mention it, I did hear something about her brother last week," Dad said, nodding. "I believe he got sent to the psych ward up at Northwest."

"Dad," I groaned, but he just lifted his hands as if to say "what?"

If that was true about Jasper, I did feel bad. He had been like a brother to me, but it felt like a lifetime ago. I don't think I had even asked Bella _why_ she had finally come back to Forks, but it made since that she would return for her brother. They had been very close for as long as I had known them.

"That poor boy," my mom said sadly, shaking her head.

"That's not what I came here to talk to you about," I said firmly. They both looked at me questioningly, and I let out a deep breath.

This was hard- I actually felt a little sympathetic towards Bella for a moment.

"Like I was saying," I continued, "Bella came to see me on Monday. I hadn't seen her or even talked to her really at all before now. She had something to tell me, which is why I'm here talking to you now."

"Get on with it, Edward," my father urged, and I shot him a glare.

"Bella came to talk to me because… well, um, because after she left town six years ago, she found out that she was pregnant. And, um, needless to say, it's mine. _She_ , I mean. She's mine."

"Edward…" my mother said slowly, glancing between my father and me. "What exactly are you saying here? I need to hear you say it."

I started to speak, to repeat myself, but my father jumped in, slamming his hand down on the table.

"He's saying that he knocked her up like the irresponsible kid he was- _is_. I can't believe this. How could you be so stupid? How's there's no hope for you at all."

"Why, dad?" I asked, my voice rising. "I'm twenty five years old, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm not a kid, and I'm not irresponsible. I have a home and a job-"

"As a _nurse_ ," my father interrupted again. "You had such a bright future- you could have gone so far if you had just gone to medical school like _we_ had planned. But no. You let your future get derailed, for no reason at all, and now all of a sudden you have a child. How are you going to afford to further your education if you're paying child support and then hopefully for a lawyer? Have you thought about that? Because you're not getting a dime from me. This wasn't the plan, Edward!"

"You don't get to plan for me anymore!" I shouted. "I'm an adult, damnit, and I am no longer under your control. I came here in good faith to tell you that I'm a father. I have a daughter. _You_ have a granddaughter."

Silence fell over the table, until my father stood and left the table. He stormed out of the room, and I heard him slam the door to his office behind him.

"I'm sorry," I said to my mom, reaching for her head. She let me take it, but didn't look at me as she wiped gathering tears out of her eyes. "I didn't mean to tell you like that."

We were quiet for a few minutes, until I felt her squeeze my hand.

"Tell me everything," She said, and I did, trying to tell her everything exactly as it had happened and just as Bella had explained to me just a few days previously.

She listened, and didn't speak until I was finished. "You know, I had heard that Charlie and Renée had a grandchild, but you know how private they are. I figured it was Bella's…I just figured that it had happened later, that she had met someone wherever she had disappeared to. It never even crossed my mind that…that it was yours. And I didn't mention it to you because I figured you would never want to talk about Bella Swan ever again."

"Yeah, well, you were right about that," I said dryly, but then turned serious. "I really messed up with her, Mom. I should've listened to what she was saying that night. Because she was right, you know? I would've saved myself a lot of time, trouble, and heartbreak if I had just heard what she was trying to tell me."

"You can't change the past, Edward," she said. "Now you have to think about your daughter. Wow. That sounds strange, doesn't it?"

I smiled slightly. "I thought so, too, at first, but then I met her. God, Mom, she's…she's mine. I felt it immediately. Even if she didn't look just like me…I'd know."

… …

"Where've you been?" Lauren asked, looking up from her magazine as I came in through the side door. "I already ate dinner."

"I ate at my parents," I explained, toeing off my shoes. "Sorry, I meant to text you."

She shrugged, putting down her magazine. "It's okay. I wish you would've told me ahead of time, I would've gone with you. I know you hate going over there."

Lauren was right, but I knew that wasn't really why she would've wanted to come- she was always trying to spend more time with my mom. It was nice, and I was glad Lauren liked my mom, but I had a funny feeling that the sentiment wasn't quite mutual and it was awkward for me. Plus, visits to my parents always had a way of bringing up the marriage talk- something I definitely didn't look forward to.

"I had to talk to them," I explained. "Um, it was actually kind of serious, and I need to talk to you about it, too."

I sat down on the couch next to her, and she looked at me apprehensively. "You remember Bella Swan, right?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah…"

"She came over here the other day."

"What?!" Lauren asked, starting to get up, but I grabbed her arm.

"Calm down. Just listen to me," I said, guiding her back to her seat. "She came over to talk to me, that's it. I haven't seen her in years."

"What the hell could she have had to say to you?" Lauren asked. "Better yet- why aren't you telling me until now?"

"It's been hard for me," I explained. "I've been…well, I've been really overwhelmed. She came over to tell me that she has a kid. A daughter."

"And?" Lauren asked, but I could see the pieces coming together in her mind. "Edward…"

"I have a daughter," I said quietly. "She just told me on Monday."

She stared at me, completely shocked. "Edward…" she repeated. "You have a daughter? What…what the hell? And you seriously didn't know until now?"

"I really didn't," I swore. "She didn't find out she was pregnant until after we had broken up, and she had left town."

"And she didn't tell you? What a bitch," Lauren seethed. "You've had a daughter for all this time, and she didn't tell you?"

"No. And I agree- it was wrong. In fact, I'm pretty furious about it. But right now, I'm thinking about my daughter. Bella is the path to my daughter, and I'm not going to burn that bridge."

"You're too calm about this, Edward," Lauren argued. "Have you hired a lawyer?"

"No! Just…just calm down. There's time for that, okay? If it's even necessary. I don't know. I just met Violet yesterday, and…god, I don't know. It's all so crazy."

"Violet? That's her name?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah. She looks just like me," I replied.

"You're a father. Wow." Lauren shook her head. "I can't believe it."

"I know," I said, slipping my arm around her shoulders. "I didn't, either, until I met her. It was amazing, Laur. She looked at me, and I knew. And she's perfect, really. I'm sure all parents think that, but it's true about her. She's perfect."

"Look at you, going all soft," she teased. "Daddy Edward. I guess…I guess this kind of paves the way for us, huh?"

I paused, looking down at her in confusion. "How so?" I asked.

"Well, you were all terrified about becoming a father," Lauren hedged. "And now you're not anymore, so…can we start trying?"

"No," I said flatly, pulling my arm away from her. "Lauren, no."

"Why not?" She spat, turning venomous in an instant. "I'm sick of your excuses, Edward! I've wanted to have a baby with you, and you've shut me down every single time. Now, your precious _Bella_ turns up with your kid out of the blue and all of a sudden fatherhood is so amazing? But you still won't experience that with me? You know what- Bella Swan has been in our relationship all along, hasn't she? You're still not over her, and now she's got your fucking kid. Great. Just great. Where does that leave me, Edward?"

"That's not how it is," I insisted. "Bella Swan is _not_ in our relationship. Just because I found out I have a daughter doesn't somehow magically make me ready to start a family with you! You're suffocating me, Lauren! And don't you dare use this against me."

For the second time today, someone responded to the news by storming away and slamming the door behind them.

… …

 **Thanks, guys! Be sure to let me know what you thought. Also feel free to add me on Facebook, if you're interested! I try to post teasers and updates there. My profile is Cynosure Fanfic, and I hope to see you there.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry if the last two chapters were a little confusing, timeframe wise. Chapter six chronologically took place before chapter five. I'm actually not quite sure why I wrote it like that…should I leave it as is, or would it be even more confusing if I switched the order?**

 **Updating** _ **Free**_ **later this week, possibly during the weekend.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"I thought we could get takeout from the diner for dinner," Lauren said as she walked into the house. She stopped short in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes landing on Bella. "Oh. What are you doing here?"

"Lauren," I said, holding my hand out to her. "Bella is here to talk about Violet."

She visibly relaxed, although I wasn't entirely sure why she had gotten worked up in the first place- why else would Bella be sitting at our kitchen table?

"Uh, Bella, this is Lauren. Lauren, Bella."

The two women shook hands and greeted each other, and I was a little dismayed when Lauren sat down at the table with us.

"Okay, so, um, as I was saying, I'd like Violet to come over here tomorrow," I said. "And maybe my mom could come over and have lunch or dinner with us. Whatever time works better for you."

"That should be okay," Bella said hesitantly. She tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, and that simple motion seemed to transport me back in time. That brought the old Bella, the Bella that had been mine, back. There had been a time where I had thought that nothing could tear the two of us apart, and now it almost felt like we might as well have been strangers. If it weren't for Violet, we would seemingly have no connection to each other at all.

"What time would you drop her off?" Lauren asked, pulling me out of my thoughts from the past. "I don't get home until three. Or did you want us to pick her up?"

"Oh, um," Bella looked over at me, shaking her head. "I really wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Violet here alone. Without me, I mean. It's a little too new for her, and I think it's too soon. No offense to you, Edward," she added, but didn't address Lauren.

"That makes sense," I said, jumping in before Lauren could speak. "I want Violet to feel comfortable, and having you here will help." I turned back to Lauren. "Go ahead and pick up some dinner from the diner," I said, nudging her. "Bella and I will finish up in a few minutes."

I thought for a moment that she would argue, but much to my surprise, she didn't. Maybe she really did realize that this needed to be between Bella and I, even though she did slam the door behind her on her way out.

"Sorry," I said after she was gone. "I know you wanted to meet her first, but I really just want to talk to you without her making it about herself. What I really want to talk about is how we're going to handle this after you fly back to Chicago on Saturday."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "I realize we're at a crossroads, here. But Edward, I can't just come back here. Forget the fact that I hate this town. That's irrelevant. I have a business back in Chicago, and we're preparing for the holiday release. Plus, Violet as school, and even though it's only kindergarten, I can't just pull her out of school. I feel guilty enough for having her miss this week, and that was for a family emergency."

"I understand," I said grudgingly. "But I also have a life here that I can't just up and leave. I'm not like you, Bella. I feel like I'm tied down here."

She smiled slightly. "That's exactly why I wanted you to leave with me, all those years ago. Think how different things would be if you had made the choice to come along."

"Think how different things would be if you had made the choice to not keep my daughter from me, and me from her."

The smile slid off her face. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," I said, hearing my own voice rise. "An apology does nothing to lessen the blow of this. You have no idea what you've done to me- to my life."

She just nodded. "I see."

"Well, we'll figure something out," I finally said, softening my voice. "We have to."

"I know. Um, I should probably go now. My mom said she was going to make dinner tonight. I'll bring Violet over tomorrow, okay? Around ten? We need to leave for Seattle at one."

It didn't give us much time, but I'd take what I could get. "Fine," I agreed. "I'll have my mom come over for lunch. Tell Violet I missed her today," I added as I walked Bella to the door.

She agreed, and I watched from the doorway as she jogged through the light rain to her brother's old car and finally drove off.

That girl had broken my heart, and over the last six years, I had put it back together myself. But now it felt like I was breaking all over again, and it only took me a moment to realize why. I would always love Bella Swan, and no cheap fix would change that.

… …

The sounds of my heavy footfalls against the wet pavement and my labored breaths were all I could hear. It had stopped raining about halfway through my impromptu run, but I hadn't lowered the hood of my sweatshirt.

We had barely finished dinner before I was pulling my running shoes out of the hall closet and heading out the door.

Lauren and I used to always run together. But lately, life had been getting in the way, and tonight, I just wanted to be alone.

I hadn't had this much on my mind in a long time. Not only was I struggling with coming to terms with the fact that I had a daughter whose whole life I had missed out on, but I was also agonizing over the realization that Bella Swan was still under my skin and in my heart.

I ran until my lungs were screaming for air and my legs nearly felt numb, and then I found myself standing in front of the Swan's house.

For years, I had avoided this very spot like the plague. I never drove down their street, and I had always avoided their neighborhood during when I went out for a run. After a while, I didn't even have to think about it- the avoidance became second nature. I hadn't come here tonight on accident.

The doorbell rang out the same chime it had on the night I picked Bella up for our first real date, or when I had taken her to our senior prom, and just like those nights, her father was the one to answer the door.

"Edward," he said in obvious surprise. "Are you alright, son?" He asked, looking me up and down with concern.

And him calling me 'son', just like he had for the five years that I had been with his daughter from the ages of fourteen to nineteen, made the dam burst.

"No, damnit, I'm not alright," I spat out. "How could you do this to me, Chief?" How could you let her do this?"

He stepped outside immediately, pulling the front door shut behind him.

"You were practically like a father to me," I continued. "How could you deny me my own child, knowing exactly what I was missing out on? Father to Father, Charlie, how could you do this?"

I felt hot tears on my cheeks, but I barely processed them as Charlie put his hands firmly on my shoulders.

"There's no excuse good enough," he finally said, his voice low. "But you have to understand that no one did this to intentionally hurt you. Obviously, intentions don't matter, but that's the truth. Bella had her own reasons, and while I don't agree with them, I respected her wishes out of fear of losing her. Losing both of them. We thought we had lost her, Edward, just like you did. She left all of us, even though she found herself on the way. But I've been eaten alive by her secret every day for almost six years, and I kept it because to me, it meant keeping _my_ daughter."

It made sense. In a twisted way, it did. But just because it made sense on some level didn't make it easier.

"Edward."

I turned at the sound of her voice. And standing there, she looked exactly like the girl who had left me six years ago.

Charlie squeezed my shoulders one more time, then slipped past his daughter and back into the house.

"I wish there was something I could do," she began. "But I know there's not."

"No, there's not. And I should hate you for it," I said. "But I don't, and I don't know how I don't. Because I really, truly, wish there was something to kill this part of me that could never hate you."

"I wish you hated me, too. I deserve it."

"You have to give me something, here," I begged, wiping at my face with my sleeve. "I need to know that you aren't going to disappear again. And with her, this time."

"Next weekend," she said softly. "We'll fly back next weekend."

"What about your-"

"Forget about it," she interrupted. "Nothing I have going on next weekend is as important as you seeing Violet. I'm sorry I didn't realize that sooner. This is my fault, and so I need to compromise."

"Thank you," I said weakly.

"Do you want a ride home?" she asked, and I shook my head. "Edward, it's starting to pour." She frowned up at the sky, then pulled her car keys out of her jacket pocket. "C'mon."

I followed her without further protest, now feeling a little sheepish. I hadn't planned on doing this.

We were in her brother's care, and there was what looked like a school picture of Violet taped to the dash. I touched it gently, and studied it as Bella started the car.

"That was from last year," She said, her voice cutting through the silence. "Pre-school."

I nodded, letting my hand fall.

"Is your mom excited to meet Violet?" She asked, obviously trying to fill the awkward silence.

"Yeah," I murmured truthfully. "She was shocked, of course, but is looking forward to spoiling her. You know how my mom is."

Bella just smiled, and somehow, the rest of the short drive wasn't so awkward.

… …

"Violet!" I cried, pulling the front door open wide. "Come on in!"

She did so, a whirl or purple and pink and obviously riding a sugar high.

"Sorry," Bella murmured as she brushed by me. "I slept in, and my dad feed her the most sugar filled breakfast I've ever seen. She's been bouncing off the walls ever since."

Maybe she was just excited about spending the morning here, but I didn't voice my opinion.

"Is this your house?" Violet asked, miraculously standing still for a moment as Bella pulled her rainboots off of her feet for her. "I like it."

"It is," I confirmed, shutting the front door behind them. "I'm glad you like it."

"Do you have other kids?" She asked, and I chuckled.

"No, just you, I guess. More than enough for me."

"Good. I like being the only baby," Violet said. "Look," she opened up her backpack, showing me the inside. "I brought my favorite books. Mom said you like to read, too."

This was easy. I hadn't expected this to seem so easy, but maybe it was Violet that made it natural. It just felt right with her.

… …

 **Btw, sugar doesn't actually cause hyperness. I know this. But it's a common misconception, and I decided to roll with it.**

 **Let me know what you thought!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I haven't been able to get back to any reviews or PMs lately but I promise I will try and shoot you a reply! I really appreciate it; I've just been so busy!**

 **I'm still working on the next chapter of "Free", I promise. It's just taking me a little longer than I expected.**

… …

Esme Cullen was exactly how I remembered her. She was perfectly polished and polite- even to me.

And like just about everyone who met Violet, Esme was immediately wrapped around her finger. Esme oohed and aahed over her granddaughter, and showered her with praise and questions.

Violet was loving it, of course, soaking up all of the extra attention.

I was relieved that her outgoing personality seemed to be making all of this easier and enjoyable for her, and hoped that she would continue to thrive. Violet had been a little confused about how grandparents and aunts and uncles worked, but was taking it all in stride. She seemed to just be jappy that she was the recipient of even more love than before.

"I have another grandma," Violet was saying to Esme as we ate lunch. "Grandma Rae. That's not her real name, though. It's just what we call her."

"She couldn't pronounce 'Renée' when she was little," I explained to Esme, ruffling Violet's hair. "So she became Grandma Rae, and it's stuck."

"Adorable," Esme declared, exchanging smiles with Violet. "Would you like to call me grandma, too? Or would Nana be less confusing."

She was probably directing the question towards both of us, but I left it to Violet to respond.

"You can be Nana," she agreed, and Esme and Edward grinned at each other.

"How has Rosalie been, Esme?" I asked, filling the following silence.

Rosalie was a few years older than Edward and I, and she had already been in dental school by the time Edward and I had broken up. She hadn't been around much while we had been in high school, but I had always liked her, and I was sure that Violet would, too.

"She's doing well, thank you," Esme answered. "She has her own practice in Seattle, and she's getting married next summer, so she's been very busy."

"Wow, that's great," I replied, not surprised that Rosalie was doing so well.

"We get to see Uncle Jasper today," Violet said, bouncing in her seat. "When do I see my aunt? And don't I have another grandpa?"

Esme and Edward exchanged glances, and this time, they definitely weren't grinning. And one of my worst fears was coming to the surface when I realized that Carlisle Cullen might not accept Violet as a part of his family.

"Maybe you can meet my sister in a few weeks," Edward offered. "And you do have another grandpa- my dad."

"He'd love to meet you, Violet, but we'll have to figure out when," Esme promised, but Edward didn't seem to relax at all. "He works at the hospital, like your dad does, and he gets really busy."

"I had to go to the hospital once," Violet said. "But it was really for mommy. They put her cast on her arm and they let me pick out the color. I picked green, because I know it's her favorite. And then when they took her cast off, they let me have her sucker."

Violet chattered throughout the rest of the meal, and by the time I had loaded her into the car, her eyelids were starting to droop.

"Thanks for bringing her by today," Edward said after I buckled her into her booster seat and shut the door.

I nodded, glancing back towards the house, but there was no sign of Esme. "Yeah, of course. I'm glad your mom could meet her. They really seemed to click."

Edward just gave me a small smile, and I sighed. "Are you worried about your dad?" I asked. "Should I not let Violet go over to your parents' house next weekend to meet him and Rosalie?"

"I think I'm overreacting," he said as he raked his hand through his cropped hair. "You know how my dad is."

"Yeah, I do, and that's why I'm started to get a little worried," I explained, peeking over my shoulder at Violet- she was preoccupied with one of the picture books I had put in her backpack, but she looked close to drifting off to sleep.

"He'll love her," Edward said, and there was conviction in his voice now. "It's not her that he had a problem with. He thinks we're just dumb kids, which we probably were, but the problem is that he _still_ thinks we're dumb kids. He thinks this has further postpones all those great plans I used to have for my future- but in reality, medical school hadn't been in my plans for a long time now."

"So it's not Violet you're worried about- it's yourself."

"It's _us_ ," Edward argued. "I can deal with him being upset with me. Frankly, I'm getting used to it. But I don't want him saying anything to you, especially in front of Violet."

"I'm a big girl, Edward," I said with a sigh. "I don't care what he says or thinks about me. But you'd better talk to him or have your mom do it. Because he better not say or do a single think to make Vioelt feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. That's the only problem I have."

"I understand, and I feel the same way," he assured me. "I'm sorry for worrying you. It's really not as big of a deal as I'm probably making it. We're just…we haven't been seeing eye to eye on much of anything lately."

"Okay," I said, letting it slide. "We should get going. It's a bit of a drive to Seattle. Want to say goodbye again?"

Edward nodded, so I climbed into the car and rolled down Violet's window after getting it started.

"Bye, Violet," he said, leaning down and resting his arms on the frame on the open window.

I turned back to face the front, giving them a semblance of privacy even though I could obviously still hear them.

"I'll see you next weekend, okay? I can't wait."

"Me either," Violet replied. "Can we eat cake again?" She asked, referring to the absolutely heavenly chocolate cake Esme had brought for us to have as a dessert today.

"Whatever you want," Edward promised. "I…I'm really glad I got to meet you, Violet. I'm sorry that we didn't until now, but from now on, you and I are going to see each other. Maybe not as much as I'd like, but as much as we can. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, but I could tell from the sleepiness in her voice that she was starting to drift off.

Sure enough, when I peeked in the mirror, her head had lolled off to the side and her eyes were closed.

"I love you," I heard Edward say, and then he was tapping on my window. I rolled up the back window while rolling mine down, and Edward stooped down to talk to me.

His eyes were red, but I couldn't bring myself to look away, despite the guilt it elicited. "I don't think I have your phone number anymore," he said quietly.

"Oh," I said, scrambling for a pen and a scrap piece of paper. "Yeah, I don't have my old number anymore. I had to change it and get a private number after starting the company," I explained as I wrote my new number on the back of a crumpled receipt.

He nodded again, slipping the paper into his pocket without looking at it.

"I'll send you our flight itinerary as soon as I get it sorted out," I promised. "We'll see you next week."

"Sounds good," he said, stepping away from the car. "Bye, Bella."

… …

Having Jasper back in the house just felt right. The four of us hadn't been together in this house for such a long time, and now Violet was added to the mix. As a result, I felt more at home here than I had in a very, very long time.

Violet was, as always, her uncle's shadow. Now as we were sitting in the living room in front of the television, she was anchored firmly in his lap, and didn't look like she would be moving any time soon.

When I had found out that I was pregnant, Jasper had been my biggest supporter. I had been terrified, of course, and had almost turned around and come right back to Forks. But Jasper, always my biggest supporter, had been the one to convince me that I could do it. For years, $50 of every one of his already meager paychecks had come to me in the mail. Some months, that $100 had been the difference that kept me afloat. And in my many moments of doubt, he had been the one to push me harder and make me realize that I was capable.

I wished that there was more I could do for him in return.

Hours later, when everyone else was already in bed, I returned downstairs and found my older brother at the kitchen table.

"How're you doing?" I asked, sitting down in the chair across from him.

He shrugged. "Been better, I guess."

"You're going to be okay, Jasper," I said firmly. "Don't tell me you're giving up now."

"Not giving up," Jasper assured me. "Just wondering where to go from here. I can't go back to work at the plant- not with my back like this. And I have no idea where else I could go. It's bad enough that I'm still living with Mom and Dad…and now I can't even contribute."

"Jasper," I said quietly. "You helped me for years- me _and_ Violet. Now please, let me help you."

"I don't want your money, Izzy. I need work, not a temporary fix. And you know how this town is. Everybody knows everything. I hate everyone knowing about my problems…my failures. They follow me around here."

"Violet and I will be back in town next weekend- just for those two days. We leave again on Sunday night. Take this week to get your things together, and then come back to Chicago with us. You'll love it, Jasper. Living there is so much different than visiting, and we'll be there together. I won't let you fail, just like you've never let me."

He studied me for a long moment, then sighed. "Let me think about it, yeah?"

"Of course," I replied, getting up and coming to his side. "Either way, I'm proud of you, okay? You're not giving up."

I kissed him on the forehead, and we bid each other goodnight.

I crawled back into bed, wrapping me arms around Violet and holding her close. And again, my mind drifted to thoughts of Edward.

What would be best for him, and for us?

… …

As soon as we were back in Chicago, it was right back to work for me and school for Violet.

"It was fine without you," Alice assured me as soon as I came into the office. "We're still perfectly on track."

"Thank God," I said, letting out a deep breath. "So we're ready to send out the PR packages."

We talked shop for most of the morning, Alice catching me up on everything I needed to know. Because we were still a small company, I liked to be involved in every department. It brought me back to old times- in the beginning, it really had been just me and Alice. Marketing, public relations, social media, distribution, development and quality control all still got our attention, and that was one of the things that made my business unique.

And after a busy morning, it was time to get caught up on more personal issues.

"So, how was it? Alice asked, pushing her salad to the side as soon as she was finished eating.

"Not quite as bad as I thought- but you already knew I was being overdramatic," I admitted. "My brother will be okay, I think. I'm still worried about him, of course, but I'm hoping that he'll take me up on my offer to move him out here. Change would be good for him, even if it's not permanent."

"Good," Alice said earnestly. "I know how close you used to be to your brother, and I'm glad things are looking up for him. Do you think he'd really move out here, though?"

"I think so. He feels stuck there, you know? Just like I used to. Even if he just came here for a year or something, I think he would feel like his slate would be wiped clean. But I'm getting ahead of myself here- he hasn't made a decision yet."

"What about, um, Violet's father?" She asked, and I exhaled loudly.

Other than my family, Alice was the only one who knew the whole, horrible story about the choices I had made regarding Violet and her father. And although she didn't agree with how I had handled things, Alice had always managed to be supportive.

"It was kind of a mess, but it wasn't nearly as awful as I deserved," I said honestly. "Edward was…well, actually he was different. I don't know how exactly to explain it, but he didn't react the way I had always worried he would. And when he met Violet…God, Alice. It made me realize how wrong I was. Now they know each other, and I have to figure out how this is all going to work. Oh, and speaking of that, I'll be gone next weekend. And maybe every weekend after that."

… …


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This is posting the night before, since I have to work all day. I've worked every Thanksgiving for the past five years, but I don't mind too much. Family drama is too much for me, especially this year.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"I still think you should hire a lawyer," Lauren was saying. "So what if she agreed to bring her here this weekend? That's not a permanent fix, and she said herself that they can't do that all the time. Besides, it wouldn't exactly work with your schedule, either. And are weekends enough?"

"Lauren, I _don't know_ ," I said, again. "I still haven't figured this all out myself, okay? I'm overwhelmed and…and conflicted. I want my daughter, but I also want what is best for her. And I firmly believe that her mother is what is best for her, regardless of how selfish and immature Bella acted before. I hate that she kept Violet and I apart, but trying to now take Violet from her wouldn't do any of us any good. I can't hurt her like that just because she hurt me."

I knew that wasn't what Lauren had wanted to hear, and she left me alone after that. She didn't seem happy about the way I was choosing to handle things, but I couldn't bring myself to care, and that realization itself was eye-opening.

Last week, I had told Bella that my life was here, which _was_ true, but I had failed to think, really think, about it. Yes, my life was here. My family, my job, my girlfriend.

But my daughter _wasn't_ here, and I found myself wanting her above all else. If I were to rank the things in my life by importance, Violet would be, without a doubt, number one. I liked my job, but I could be a nurse just about anywhere. I would always love my family, but there was strife there, and there had been for many years now. And Lauren…

Before I had even known about the existence of my daughter, I had been starting to feel that my relationship had been going nowhere. And just last week, after my world had practically come crashing down around me, I had realized that Bella Swan still had a hold on me.

That had to mean something, count for something.

… …

A single web search told me that there were more than two hundred hospitals in Chicago, and countless other possible jobs for nurses. Almost eight thousand job listings came up when I looked.

Was this what I wanted- to do exactly what I had refused to six years ago? And if it was, then how far had my initial refusal set me back?

It didn't take much more thought for me to start filling out applications and submitting my resume.

I would talk to Bella about it this weekend.

… …

"Your father will come around," Mom assured me. "You know how he is- everything is a big deal to him, and he takes things personally."

"How can he take me having a daughter I didn't know about personally? It has nothing to do with him. And it's not like I'm fifteen years old," I complained.

She just smiled, a little sadly, and continued, "Besides, when he meets Violet, he'll change his tune. She's a charmer."

"I don't want him around Violet until _after_ he's 'changed his tune'," I argued. "There will be no cursing, dirty looks, insults, or barbed comments around her. This situation is already confusing enough to her. I won't have dad making her feel unwelcome or like a burden."

I expected her to argue, but instead, she hugged me.

"You're a good father, Edward. I know this happened overnight, but you have more than risen to the occasion. I am very proud of you, and your father will be, too. Give him some time."

"Thanks, Mom," I said softly. "That means a lot to me."

And it really did. I just wished that my father would feel the same way now, not after some "time".

… …

"Why don't you want me to meet her, Edward?" Lauren asked, her voice rising. "She's your daughter, and I'm your girlfriend- your girlfriend of _two years_. I thought we were considering starting a family of our own- and in order for us to do that, you have to let me in."

" _You_ were considering it for us," I shot back. "Lauren, I've been dragging my feet on this from the start, why won't you just let it drop?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Because, Edward, it's not okay that you're just dragging your feet! Why are we together if we're not planning a future together? Because it's _not_ just the baby thing. It's not. Two years together, and we have no plans.

Living together just kind of happened- we didn't really plan it. And that was okay. But it was a year ago now. And since then, what have we done to strengthen our future? I thought you wanted to build on your grandfather's land. But instead, we keep paying crazy high rent here. We've been together for this long, and we're not married or even engaged? I thought that was okay at first, because to some people, that's just a piece of paper and it's not necessary to build a life together. But you won't let any of that happen. And I don't know why, because you never talk to me, Edward. You don't share with me and it makes me feel like I'm nothing to you."

She was crying now, and guilt twisted in my stomach like a knife. Because she was right, about a lot of things. I knew why I didn't share with her, why I wasn't interested in building a future with her.

"I'm sorry," I said weakly. "I…I'm not trying to hurt you."

"Then give me a straight answer, Edward. Do you want to marry me? Have children with me/ Spend the rest of your life with me?"

"No," I whispered, covering my face with my hand. "I feel like I should, but I…I just don't."

"Do you love me?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"I do, Lauren, but…I just don't think that's enough anymore, is it?"

Despite it all, she managed to give me a small smile through her tears. "No, it's not," she agreed. "I wish it were, but I'm starting to realize that I'm just not the one you want."

"Lauren…" I started to say, but she ignored me and continued, so I listened.

"I had such a huge crush on you, back then. You were a junior when I was a freshman and even then, you were nice to me. And everyone was jealous of you and Bella, including me. No one even thought that you guys would ever break up. But then you did, and I still had that crush. But I was still in high school then, and I didn't see you again until I was back from college. Everyone said that you weren't over her, and that you never would be. But she wasn't here, and I was. I guess that didn't matter. She had you all along."

"I still fell in love with you," I insisted. "That wasn't a lie."

"I know, Edward. I know you didn't mean for all of this to happen. But it's like…it's like she's the moon, and I'm just a star. I don't hold a candle to her, not according to your heart."

Lauren had never made quite so much sense before, but all it did was make me feel worse.

"This has been a long time coming, I guess," she added. "And where does this leave us now?"

"I'll help you cover the rent for a few months, if you decide you want to stay here, or if it takes you a while to get a new place," I offered immediately. "I don't want to leave you high and dry, unable to pay for it. The lease isn't up for another three months."

"Where will you go?" she asked.

"I started applying for jobs in Chicago," I admitted. "And it's not even about her, Lauren, I swear. About Bella, I mean. I don't think she'll ever want to be with me after the way we broke up and after spending six years apart. It's about Violet. That's all I really care about right now."

Lauren nodded again. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I always knew you'd be a great father."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I'm really appreciate that. I'm trying."

"Don't feel like you have to be out tonight, or that you need to crash at your parents. Feel free to stay in the spare bedroom while we try to figure all of this out," Lauren said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll make myself scarce this weekend."

She started to walk by me, but I reached out and stopped her. Her hand was so small in mine, and it was shaking a little.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more for you."

She just smiled, looking bittersweet, and squeezed my hand. We both knew there wasn't much more to say, not anymore.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

This time, Edward picked us up from the airport. My parents had already offered, but when Edward had texted me on Wednesday asking if he could, I didn't have the heart to say no.

And unlike my parents, he had asked to meet us at the baggage claim so he and Violet could have a proper reunion.

"Look, Violet, there's your dad," I said, pointing to where I saw Edward standing. She started to bolt towards him, but I held tight to her hand until we got closer.

Edward dropped to his knees and opened his arms to her, and she practically flew into them.

It was incredible how comfortable she already felt with him. They already had a bond between them, and I hoped that would continue to grow. They both deserved it, and had already been deprived of it for too long.

"Did you have a good flight?" Edward asked, directing his question towards the both of us as we made our way to the proper luggage carousel.

"It was fine," I answered for us. "I did a little work and Violet watched a movie."

"The Little Mermaid," Violet informed him. "With Ariel and Flounder."

I was quiet as they continued to talk, and Edward helped me with our luggage. Because we were only here for the weekend, we had shared my plain blue suitcase, much to Violet's dismay. She preferred her purple one, of course.

"I got you a little present," Edward told Violet as we approached his Volvo in the short term parking lot. "I left it in your booster seat."

Violet tore into it without hesitation, squealing when she realized it was a new book, and then stopping and frowning slightly. "I can't read this," she cried. "It's too big and I'm too little."

I peeked over her shoulder, looking at the book. _Ella Enchanted_. Definitely above her reading level.

"I know," Edward said, squeezing her shoulder. "It's a book that I'd like to read to you, if that's okay. Since we both like to read so much."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, immediately brightening. "Okay!"

Edward smiled sheepishly, catching my eye. "Rosalie's idea," he admitted quietly.

I chose to sit in the backseat with Violet instead of upfront. It was a little awkward either way, but I figured Edward would be preoccupied with the road and with Violet so he probably didn't care either way. But a little more than halfway through the trip to Forks, Violet drifted off to sleep, and we were left in silence before Edward finally spoke.

… …

 **Basically the last of Lauren. We'll see just a little bit more of her, probably, but not much. Also** _ **Ella Enchanted**_ **was and still is my favorite book of all time (maybe except for Harry Potter, but that's a series so it doesn't count). I know it's a kids book. But damn I love it, and it played a big part in my childhood. My copy is still in my bedroom, tattered and ragged, and it continues to come along on plane rides and long car trips, just in case. I've probably read it a hundred times by now, easy.**

 **I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you thought.**


	10. Chapter 10

"So we're all set for lunch tomorrow?" he asked, glancing over at me. "Noon at my parents' house?"

"Yep," I said, nodding my head "I think Vi is really looking forward to it. And I'm sure she's hoping that your mom will make more of that chocolate cake.

Edward laughed quietly. "I'll bet she won't be disappointed. My mom would already jump through hoops to make her smile. Rosalie is excited, too. She was shocked at first, of course, but she has always wanted a niece or nephew to spoil."

"Good," I said, deciding that it would be for the best if I didn't ask about Carlisle. "What about your, um, girlfriend? Lauren. Will she be joining us tomorrow, as well? I mean, I guess there's no reason Violet shouldn't go ahead and meet everyone."

"Ah…" Edward cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Lauren and I actually decided that it would be for the best if we were to end our relationship."

I looked at him, shocked. "Oh," I said. "I see. Um…I hope that wasn't because of me." I realized my misstep, correcting myself immediately. "Because of me coming here with Violet, I mean."

I really hoped that it wasn't, because I hadn't come here looking to ruin his relationship with another woman. And I felt like I had already done enough damage.

"No, it wasn't, "Edward replied, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "Well, okay, it definitely brought up some issues in our relationship," he amended. "But it just forced us to have a conversation about a lot of things that I had just kept pushing to the side."

"Well, I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I hope you're doing okay."

"Thanks, Bella. But really, I'll be fine. I'm ready to move forward. In fact, there are some things that I need to talk to you about. We need to discuss where we can go from here. Regarding Violet, I mean."

I peeked into the backseat. Violet was asleep, and had always been a deep sleeper, but I didn't feel comfortable discussing this in front of her, in case she was to stir.

"Definitely," I replied. "But that conversation needs to happen away from Violet. I know she's young, but I don't want her overhearing something and trying to draw her own conclusions. It'll just confuse her."

"Oh, yeah, okay," Edward agreed, glancing at Violet in the rearview mirror as well. "That makes sense."

"We could talk tomorrow after lunch," I suggested. "I'm sure your mom and Rosalie would be more than happy to keep Violet occupied."

He chuckled in agreement. "Sounds good."

… …

"I don't want to wear that," Violet said, sticking her nose up at the dress I had set out on the bed. "I want to wear the green one."

"We didn't bring the green one," I said, already past the point of exasperation. "You have to wear this one."

She had been fighting me all morning.

First, she hadn't wanted to wake up. Then she wanted pancakes instead of the eggs my mom had already fixed. She hadn't wanted to watch Dora, she wanted to watch The Little Mermaid again instead. She suddenly hated her regular kids toothpaste, and wanted my spearmint kind. And when my mom had tried to brush her hair for her, Violet had thrown a fit until Jasper had done it, instead. I was exhausted, and it was only eleven o'clock in the morning.

She wasn't usually like this. Like every kid, she had her bad moments, but I didn't think that's what this was. Everything had gone so smoothly up until now, but it was becoming overwhelming for her. After all, she was just a little girl, and the only world she knew was the one that I had carefully constructed for her, and now that world was rapidly expanding.

But I couldn't just cancel our lunch at the Cullen's- it was too late for that now, and I really didn't think that would be of any help.

"Violet," I said, crouching down so that we were eye to eye. "You have to get dressed, and this is the only outfit I brought for you to wear today. We're going to lunch, remember? Don't you want your dad to see your pretty dress?"

She peeked up at me, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Yeah," she said tearfully.

"Are you nervous, Blossom?" I asked, gently running my thumbs underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears. "It's okay if you are."

"I don't want you to leave me here!" She suddenly cried out, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Whoa, what do you mean?" I asked. "I'm not leaving you. I never will."

"Sarah K. at school said that her mom leaves her at her dad's house every weekend, and they don't get to go to the park together anymore or watch cartoons in bed."

She continued to blubber unintelligibly, and my heart sank in my chest as I held her close. It was bad enough that I had hurt Edward so badly- now my daughter was hurting, too, and terrified that she would spend the rest of her childhood being torn away from each of her parents once a week.

"Violet, you're my baby girl," I said, trying to soothe her. "I will never send you away, or leave you all alone somewhere. Do you _want_ to see Edward? Your dad?"

She nodded, but didn't pick up her head or loosen her grip around my neck.

"He wants to see you, too. Very badly. But I promise that I will never make you come here by yourself, until you're older and decide that you might be ready for that. Sarah K.'s mom and dad both live in Chicago, so she doesn't have to make a big trip like we do. And I bet that even though she misses her mom, she likes to be with her dad, too. But you and I live in Chicago, and your dad lives here, in Washington. That's over two thousand miles apart, which is really, really far. I won't send you away, or leave you here. I'll make the trip with you until you're old enough to make the trip on your own. No one is leaving you. Do you understand, baby?"

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "I wish we all lived together."

"I know, baby. That would make things easier, wouldn't it? But I promise, your dad and I will figure out a plan that will make this better."

I stood and pulled her up with me, then eased her into a sitting position on the bed. With a few tissues, I dried her tears, then kissed her on the nose.

"Ready to get dressed?" I asked, picking her dress back up.

This time, she agreed, compliantly letting me help her into her dress and then her tights and shoes.

"Makeup, mom?" She asked, pursing her lips at me. "I want to look like you."

"Aw, Vi, there will be plenty of time for that when you're older. For now, how about you look like you."

Violet pouted a little, but didn't protest as I applied her usual "makeup" for her- moisturizer, a few coats of clear mascara, and some lightly tinted lip balm.

"I'm ready," she announced when I was finished, pulling a funny face at her reflection in the mirror.

"Go tell Grandma Rae and Grandpa goodbye," I instructed, checking my watch as she scampered off. I had gotten ready this morning before breakfast, but was already feeling worn out thanks to the many arguments that had made up my morning. Luckily, I had just enough time to freshen up my makeup and comb out my hair again. My outfit was a simple long-sleeved red dress, and I slipped my feet into my flats before deeming myself ready to go.

I had been so focused on Violet's feelings that I didn't realize until now just how nervous _I_ was. The Cullen's had once been my second family, knowing just about everything there was to know about me. And even though Carlisle had always been hard on Edward, he had been nothing but polite to me while I had been dating his son.

But now, I was worried that I couldn't expect that anymore.

… …

Edward was the one to open the Cullen's front door, and Violet jumped into his arms without hesitation.

"Hey," he said to me after he had greeted Violet and surprising me with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Lunch is almost ready, but Mom thought we could sit in the living room and visit first," he explained. "And Violet, I think your Aunt Rosalie is so excited to meet you that she brought you a present."

Violet was grinning from ear to ear, and seemed content for Edward to carry her as we headed towards the living room.

I trailed slightly behind, not wanting to intrude on Edward and Violet's small moment together, or on Edward introducing his daughter to his family.

Esme greeted us first as we stepped into the living room, giving Violet a squeeze and a kiss before greeting me.

"Thank you for coming to lunch today," she said. "We've all been looking forward to it."

Carlisle and Rosalie had both stood as we had entered the room, and it was Rosalie who stepped forward first.

"Violet, I am so happy to meet you," she said sweetly. "Your dad hasn't stopped talking about you."

"This is your Aunt Rosalie," Edward said to Violet. "She's my older sister."

"Hi," Violet said, smiling immediately. "I have an uncle, too. He's my mom's big brother."

"I know your Uncle Jasper!" Rosalie said cheerfully, making Violet's smile grow. "You've got curly hair, just like him."

Rosalie's eyes slid to me suddenly, she although her smile tightened slightly, it didn't falter. "Bella," she said. "You grew up."

I laughed, and she stepped forward to give me a brief hug. "I guess so," I agreed. "It's good to see you, Rosalie."

"We have a lot to catch up on," she said. I started to reply, but was quickly distracted as Carlisle stepped towards Edward and Violet.

And I was shocked, but the look on his face made all of my worries fly out the window. He looked absolutely delighted as he smiled at his granddaughter, then reached out to take her hand.

"Hello, Violet," he said. "Your nana has told me all about you. I hear you like her special chocolate cake just as much as I do."

Edward looked a little surprised, too, but he grinned. "This is my dad, Carlisle. Your grandpa."

"Hi," Violet replied, not missing a beat. "Do you think Nana made chocolate cake?" She asked, and Carlisle laughed, looking absolutely tickled.

"I guess we'll have to find out after lunch," he replied. Then he turned to his son. "She looks just like me!"

I almost chuckled at his enthusiasm, but then quickly realized that he was, in fact, correct. Violet looked just like her father, who actually looked just like _his_ father. The three of them did look remarkably similar, with the biggest difference being their coloring.

"Violet, I have something for you," Rosalie said, effectively garnering her attention. "Well, two things, really."

Edward set Violet down on her own two feet, and I smiled at how she stayed close by his side despite the promise of presents from her aunt.

"Sit down, all of you," Esme said, gesturing towards the seating area. "Rosalie, give those to Violet and then we can sit down to eat. I'm going to go and finish everything up."

We followed orders and went to sit down. Rosalie and Carlisle sat on the couch while Edward and Violet settled on the loveseat. I started towards one of the chairs, but Edward reached out and caught my hand. "Sit with us, Bella."

"Yeah, Mom," Violet chimed in. "We'll make room." She clambered onto Edward's lap, and I sank down onto the cushion beside them.

"Here you go," Rosalie said cheerfully, sliding two gift-wrapped boxes over towards Violet. Edward picked them up for her, and she tore at the wrapping paper of the smaller package eagerly. "It's a little scrapbook of us- your family. I thought you would like to have it," she explained.

Violet was already flipping it open, and she pointed to the picture on the first page. "Is that me?" she asked. I peered over her shoulder and saw that it was a baby picture, dated 6/20/1991.

"That's _me_ ," Edward explained. He turned the page and pointed to another picture, dated later in 1991. "And this Aunt Rosalie and me," he said. Violet nodded, and actually looked through the pages with interest, giggling at some of the pictures and asking about others.

"Mom!" She exclaimed a few moments later. "That's you!"

And sure enough, there was a picture of Edward and me at our high school graduation.

"Why are you dressed so funny?" She asked, pointing at our brightly colored regalia.

"Hey," I cried, pinching her cheek gently. "It was our graduation from high school," I explained. "They make you dress like that."

Violet quickly lost interest in that, flipping through the rest of the pages and continuing to ask questions until she reached the end.

"Say, 'thank you' to Aunt Rosalie," I reminded her gently.

"Thank you," Violet repeated, tucking the book against her chest. "I like it a lot."

"You're welcome," Rosalie answered, looking pleased. "I'm glad you like it. But you have another gift, sweetie. It's a little more…fun."

Not needing to be reminded twice, Violet tore into the other box and was delighted by the elaborate story book inside. She and Edward began to look through the pictures together, but didn't get far before Esme returned and announced that lunch was ready and waiting for us.

After finishing our delicious meal, Edward and I both turned to Violet, who was licking the last of her chocolate cake off of her fork.

"Blossom, would it be okay if your dad and I went in the other room to talk for a while?" I asked, prying the now-clean fork out of her hand.

"I bet Aunt Rosalie would like to look at your new book with you," Edward added.

"Okay," Violet said easily, then glanced over at Carlisle. "You can look with us too, if you want," she offered, making him grin.

"Go ahead," Esme said, waving all of us off. "I'll clean up in here."

I pecked Violet on the cheek before sending her back to the living room with Carlisle and Rosalie. She always made me proud to be her mother, and today was no exception.

"We can sit in the sun room," Edward offered, interrupting my thoughts. "So that we can talk in private."

"Okay," I said readily, but I felt a small sense of dread at the same time. I just hoped that we would be able to come up with a good compromise that would make things better for all three of us, but especially Violet.

As we settled into the small sunroom off of the back of the house, I couldn't help but think about all the time we had spent here in high school, studying and…not studying.

"So, um, I'm not really sure of how to go about this," Edward began. "And maybe I should have talked to you about this first, but I have kind of been looking at jobs in the Chicago area."

"Oh. Wow," I said, legitimately shocked. A very big part of me had thought that Edward wouldn't want to move, but then again, my assumptions were very much based on the conversation Edward and I'd had in this very room six years ago.

"It's just that- well, I mean, last week I told you that my life was here, in Forks. And now I realize that a huge part of my life is actually in Chicago now, and I'd like to be with her more than anything else," Edward explained.

"I see. Well, I won't lie, Edward. I'd love it if you were to move, and I know Violet would, too, but I just have to make sure this is what you really want. Because I'd be willing to make compromises, too."

"I know. And I appreciate that," Edward replied. "But I have been thinking about it a lot. There are thousands of nursing jobs in the area, and some of them really appealed to me. And now that I'm no longer in a relationship, the only other thing is-"

"Your family," I supplied. "I know you said that things with your dad have been difficult lately, but seeing him with Violet…"

Edward nodded, looking pensive. "I know I was very impressed," he admitted. "But him realizing that he wants to be a good grandparent does not fix our problems. There was a deep rift there long before Violet came into our lives."

"If you're sure," I said.

The room fell silent for a minute, and Edward cracked a smile.

"Who would've thought, huh?" He asked. "You and me…in the same room again. And with a daughter."

"I know," I said, smiling back. "And this room, especially."

"This might be a weird question, but…um, do you know when…when she was conceived? I know it's strange but I keep thinking about it. Wondering when she started to exist."

"Oh. Actually, I did a lot of thinking like that after I found out," I admitted. "And I'm not sure. We were very…um, active in that respect."

"I wonder what I was doing when I became a father," Edward continued. "Was it during the day? In the middle of the night?"

I wasn't very surprised by these questions, and I had been prepared to answer them. "She was born early in the morning. About three-fifteen."

"Well, I was in college, so there's a very good chance I was awake," Edward joked. "Was it a hard labor?"

"It wasn't too bad. Twelve hours, but I had plenty of drugs. And she was a small baby. Barely six pounds."

He nodded. "I…I googled you a few days ago," he admitted, making me laugh out loud.

"What?!" I asked.

"I was curious! You…well, I used to know everything about you, and now you're a mystery."

"I'm guessing you found the brand website…and my cringe worthy YouTube channel." I covered my face with my hands, thinking about my early days getting into makeup and the small following I had amassed back then. After starting the company, that following had kind of exploded, and I didn't have the heart to delete my channel even though it was now inactive apart from some marketing videos for the brand.

"Rosalie called you a beauty guru," Edward laughed. "But I'm impressed, Bella. I can't believe the empire you've built for yourself, and in such a short amount of time."

"Thank you," I said quietly. "Not sure that it's an empire, though. Maybe a small town."

He bumped my shoulder with his. "Don't sell yourself short, Swan. You've always been…more."

"You always thought more of me than I did."

"Not hard to think a lot of you, Bella."

"Even now? Despite everything I've done?" I asked.

Edward looked at me for a long moment, his eyes sad. "Even now."

… …

 **Thanks guys. See you soon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**This is kind of a filler but it's setting us up for the next chapter : ) Thank you for reading- please leave me a review when you're done and let me know what you thought!**

… …

"I'm so glad you're coming with us," I said, slinging my arm around my brother's neck.

"Thanks for having me, Izzy," Jasper replied, looking down at me with a smile. "You're sure I can stay with you? It's not too late to change your mind."

I swatted his arm, looking around the airport terminal. "What, are you going to walk back to Forks?" I teased. "Go ahead."

Violet popped her head up, squinting at her uncle. "You can't walk there," she informed him. "It's raining, and you're supposed to come stay with us."

"Yeah?" Jasper ruffled her hair. "You're alright with me coming with you?"

"Yes," she said firmly, then quickly refocused her attention on the Seattle themed coloring book Jasper had bought her from one of the many airport stores. "Mom said you can pick me up from school tomorrow." She looked up again. "We always stop for snacks on the way home."

"I'm right here," I reminded my daughter, laughing. "You can't trick him in front of me."

"Worth a shot, right Blossom?" Jasper asked. "Maybe we can stop somewhere tomorrow…"

I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't object. I didn't want them to make a habit of it, but saw nothing wrong with them stopping for ice cream or candy after school tomorrow. Jasper wouldn't be staying with us forever, so them having special moments together now was important.

Jasper waited until Violet was engrossed in coloring again, then leaned down towards me. "So…what about Edward?" He asked in a low voice.

"He hasn't heard back from anywhere yet, but if he does, he's going to try and schedule job interviews within the same week. We're just going to take it one step at a time. I hope this is what he really wants, because I don't want to force him into anything. But I'm trying to be accommodating. He deserves it, and I want to make this as easy as possible for him, you know? I feel like I should be the one making sacrifices here, but every time I've tried to talk about it, he insists that this is what he wants."

"Then roll with it," Jasper suggested. "He'll tell you what he wants."

"I hope so."

… …

"Wow, Iz, the place looks great," Jasper said, surveying the apartment. "You've done a lot since the last time I was here."

I was proud of our apartment. It had been a little more expensive than I had originally wanted, but the location was perfect for both me and Violet and it was spacious.

"Thanks," I said, looking around as well. "I can't take credit for the artwork, though," I said, gesturing to the canvases on the wall. "That was all Vi."

At the mention of her name, Violet came skidding back into the room. "I did this one with my fingers," she said, standing on her tiptoes to reach the bottom of the canvas.

"Beautiful, Vi," Jasper said. "I think you might grow up to be an artist."

She pursed her lips, looking up at the canvases. "I already am one. See?" She pointed to the pictures again.

"Okay, my little artist, time to go finish getting ready for bed," I said, guiding her back towards her bedroom. "Put your jammies on, and I'll come in to help you brush your teeth."

She obeyed without protest, although she did later request that Jasper read her a bedtime story, since he was our guest. And despite her excitement, she was out like a light less than fifteen minutes later.

"I'm so happy you're here," I said, handing Jasper a bottle of beer after we both settled in the kitchen. "What are your plans?"

"Thanks. And I'm going to spend tomorrow getting all my stuff together, perfecting my resume and looking online for jobs. Then I'll pick up Violet. And then on Tuesday I thought I could go around, leaving my resume places and putting in a good word for myself."

"Sounds like a good idea," I said with a nod. "How about you come by my office first on Tuesday? We could use a new-"

"Izzy…" Jasper cut me off. "I don't need you to do that for me."

"I know. But I can, if you'd let me. It doesn't have to be permanent, just something to help you out at first, get a little more job experience. We take on new interns every few months and keep them for three to six months, depending on what they sign on for. It's not a lot of pay, but you might make valuable connections."

"With makeup companies?" He asked with a snort. "No offense, Bella, really, but I'm not looking to work in the beauty industry. That's all you. You're the genius there."

"Just come drop off your resume," I pleaded. "I won't even be the one to look at it. Give it to Human Resources and let her decide whether or not we would be interested. Then it would come to me. I don't hire people that Rachel doesn't approve first."

"We share a last name," Jasper reminded me.

"Just drop it off," I insisted. "What good is owning my own company if I can't show a little nepotism when hiring interns?"

He gives up his argument, and we sit in silence for a few minutes.

"So…Edward," Jasper finally said, fiddling with the label on his beer bottle.

"What about him?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"Is that going okay?"

I nodded my head. "I don't feel like it should, but it is. He's been a thousand times more understanding than I ever hoped. And I hate that he's such a good guy, because it just highlights how horrible I've been. He didn't deserve me doing this to him, and he has every right to hate me…but he doesn't. He acts like it's okay that I did this."

"He wasn't always like that," Jasper reminded me. "Remember the bad times, Izzy. You can't pretend that everything was perfect, because it definitely wasn't."

"He wasn't a bad guy," I insisted. "Just…old-fashioned."

Jasper grimaced. "He wanted you to stay at home, barefoot and pregnant, while he went out and made something of himself. There was no room for you in that relationship, Izzy. That's what you told me when you said you were leaving. You left and made your own future, one that wouldn't have been possible if you hadn't gone."

"And I had his daughter. And kept her from him. Just because I made a great life for myself doesn't mean I wasn't wrong."

"Sometimes you have to put yourself first," he said firmly.

"Yes. But that all went out the window the moment the test came back positive. I have to put _her_ first, always, and I failed. She deserves her father, Jasper, just like he deserves her. I might have ruined that."

"You didn't. He's coming here, wanting to be near her. Near _you_. It's not ruined. Yeah, it's shitty that they didn't meet until now. But there's nothing anyone can do to fix that. You made a choice, and up until recently, you were happy with it. You can't go back now. All you can do is help them find each other, to connect, anyway you can."

I wiped tears away from my face. "I know that," I said quietly. "I just feel like a horrible person. I know how terrible my decisions were and I still stuck by them."

"But now you're trying to fix the situation, do damage control. That's more than a lot of people can say."

I knew he was just trying to make me feel better; protect me like he always had, but there was a big part of me that didn't _want_ to feel better. Maybe Edward didn't hate me for what I had done, but I hated myself for it. And I didn't feel that there was any way for me to fix this.

… …

"Bella, I think your brother is here," Alice said, making me look up from my computer. "I saw someone talking to Rachel."

"Oh, good," I said, standing up and starting to clear off the chair across from my desk. "I was worried he wouldn't come by."

Alice nodded, lingering in the doorway to my office. "He's really, really cute," she said finally, making me glance up at her.

"Yuck. That's my brother," I reminded her.

"I _know_. I'm just making an observation," she said defensively.

"Alice Brandon, are you _blushing_?!" I asked with a gasp. Her blush deepened, making me laugh. "Never thought I'd see the day."

She threw her pen at me, causing me to laugh harder. "Shut up. I hate you."

"You love me," I reminded her, calming down enough to stop with the hysterics.

"Where are you going?" She asked, gripping my arm as I went to pass her.

I shook free of her grasp with another laugh. "To get my brother, spaz. Do you want to grab us some coffee?" She hesitated for a moment, and I squeezed her hand briefly. "Up to you," I said gently, done teasing.

"I'll be right back," she finally said.

I gave her another smile, then went out into the office to look for Jasper.

We worked in an open floor plan, with the only two real offices being mine and Human Resources. Even that was a recent development, since we were so small. But our business advisor had suggested getting that department started while we were still small, so that it could grow with the company but still have a history of consistency when it came to HR.

Most of our staff members were crowded around one of the conference tables, talking, while some were working independently at their own desks. The stack of PR products sitting on Alice's desk made me groan, reminding me that we had a quality control appointment with the new shipment later today.

But all of that was forgotten when I spotted my brother on one of the couches near the front desk, looking around with interest.

"Jasper," I said, coming to stand in front of him. "Come on back to my office."

He grinned at me as he stood. "Wow, Izzy. This is pretty incredible. This is all your company?"

"It is," I said with a nod. "It's not always so lively in here, though. But we're getting ready for the holiday launch and it's got people busier than usual."

"I can imagine."

We sat down in my office, and Alice appeared in the doorway almost instantly. "Coffee," she announced, her eyes glued to the back of Jasper's head until he turned.

"Oh, thank you," he said, surprised as he took the cup she offered him.

"Yes, thanks Alice. Hey, why don't you sit down with us?"

She started to protest, but Jasper smiled over at her. "Yeah, feel free to join us."

"Okay." She sank down into the other chair, not bothering to move the papers already lying there.

"Jasper, this is Alice," I said. "She's my right hand here. And Alice, this is my brother Jasper."

They greeted each other, and I couldn't help but think that maybe Jasper was blushing just a little bit, too. "It's so greet for you guys to meet each other!" I exclaimed. "Two of the most important people in my life."

"How long have you worked for Bella?" Jasper asked, looking interested.

"Oh, since the beginning," she answered immediately. "We worked together at Nordstrom. Well, kind of. She worked at MAC and I was at one of the fragrance counters. But we share a passion for makeup, and when Bella decided to start the company, I wanted to be involved in any way possible."

I let them talk for a while, and they didn't even seem to notice that I wasn't in the conversation at all. I returned to my work, glancing up at them every once and a while. Maybe this would be good…for both of them.

… …

"Have you heard anything?" I asked, closing the door to my bedroom behind me.

"Yeah, actually, I heard back from both Northwestern and Mercy," Edward said. "I've scheduled interviews for next week…but I'm hoping I get a few more callbacks and can get more interviews before then."

"That's great!" I replied. "So…can Vi and I pick you up from the airport? She'll be dying to see you. She's talked about practically nothing but you calling her last night all day today."

Edward chuckled, and I could tell that he felt proud. And I was glad, because he deserved it. "That would be great. I get it on Tuesday. I've been looking at hotels, though, and I'm not sure where I'm going to be staying."

"Oh. Well, um, you could always stay with us," I offered. "You don't need to spend money on a hotel, and I know that Violet would be over the moon if you stayed here."

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I said forcefully. "Jasper is staying in the guest room, but there's a pull out couch in my home office. It's actually really comfortable, and the room hardly gets used with my real office only being a few blocks away."

"Well, it would be nice to stay with Violet…"

"She'll love it," I assured him. "And I'd love to have you here, too."

… …

 **Progress?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Good to see you all again. I'm hoping to update one more time before Christmas but…we'll see.**

 **We hear from both Edward and Bella in this chapter. It's a little more of setting up future chapters again but the development is necessary! Enjoy, and let me know what you think, if you wouldn't mind! I really appreciate it.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

I was nervous. I had packed and repacked my suitcase to make sure I had absolutely everything I needed, I felt confident and prepared for my interviews, and flying had never bothered me. None of that was what I was worried about.

Violet was already everything to me- I hoped that I could become everything to her. But what if I failed? What if I disappointed her? And what if she didn't need me? After all, she had done just fine without me for five years. I hadn't known about her existence or contributed at all, but she was still perfect. What if, now that I wanted to be involved, I messed up? She was amazing without me. Would I just mess things up? After all, I knew nothing about kids. I knew nothing about being a father. And although I already loved Violet more than I had even realized would be possible, I didn't know that much about her.

Allergies, fears, food aversions…the list of things I didn't know went on and on. I knew that she would willingly share these things with me if I asked, but I felt like a failure for not already knowing these things about my own daughter. It might not be my fault, but it is what it is. In fact, I _know_ it's not my fault. It's Bella's fault- just another thing that she stole from me. And again, I wished that I hated her. But I didn't. Maybe I _couldn't_.

That's what it felt like, anyway.

… …

We were all at the airport again, but this time, the roles were reversed.

Bella and Violet were waiting for me in the baggage claim, and Violet seemed so happy to see me that I thought my heart might burst from love and pride. Regardless of what I didn't know about her, or what I had missed, she was _mine_. I loved her, and miraculously, she seemed to love me just as much.

"Mom said that you can sleep in my room, if you want," Violet said, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around me.

"She asked," Bella explained, "but it's 100% up to you. You're still welcome to the pullout, if you'd rather."

"I dunno, Vi, do you snore?" I asked, pinching her foot. "Talk in your sleep?"

"No!" Violet squealed, thrashing slightly but still holding onto me tightly. "And I have a big bed now. Usually my animals sleep with me, but they can sleep on the chair. Just while you're here."

"Well, thanks. I'll take you up on your offer, then."

Violet grinned at me, and so did Bella.

I was already happy here, with them.

… …

I was more than impressed with their apartment. It was big- even bigger than the house I had shared with Lauren. I had figured that Bella had started doing well for herself, but I hadn't expected this. The apartment was spacious and elegantly furnished without seeming over the top. Violet had proudly shown me her artwork on the walls, and introduced me to all of her favorite toys. And thank goodness, she had a queen sized bed. I would have wanted to share with her even if she had a twin, but a larger bed certainly made things a little easier.

Even though I was sharing a room with Violet, Bella pulled me aside so that I could keep my things in her office, out of the way.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here," I said as I unzipped my suitcase. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course," Bella replied, looking nervous. "Do you need anything? I showed you where we keep the cups and stuff, right? And the towels for the bathroom-"

"You did," I assured her. "You covered everything."

She nodded. "Good. Make sure you let me know if you need anything else."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but thanks."

"So, um, I don't know what time your interviews start tomorrow, but you're more than welcome to come with me to take Violet to school. Jasper has been doing it lately, but he actually has an interview tomorrow morning, plus I've kind of missed taking her. We can stop for coffee or something afterwards, too. If you want, I mean."

Part of me was glad that she seemed just as nervous as I felt, maybe even more so.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Both, I mean. Taking her to school…and grabbing coffee afterwards."

"Perfect. Well, um, go ahead and get situated. I'm going to get started on dinner. Vi's in her room, if you want to hang out with her. She has some coloring pages to do for 'homework'."

"I'll be in there. Um, unless you need help with dinner?"

"Go ahead," Bella said with a smile. "Spend some time for with. Jasper can help with dinner…we'll call you both when it's ready."

She left, and I took a minute to myself. This was…odd. Being here, not just with Bella, but with our _daughter_ six years after I thought she had walked out of my life forever…it was not what I had expected. Not what I had planned for. But regardless, there was no place I'd rather be.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

I collapsed into my desk chair, already exhausted at nine o'clock in the morning. Not physically, but emotionally. Coffee with Edward had been…uneventful, but my frazzled nerves and uncomfortableness had worn me down. He seemed nervous, too, but maybe it was partly due to his interviews. He had ended up with four of them over the next three days, and then he would spend the weekend with us before heading back to Washington and waiting to hear back about future employment. Seeing him with Violet made me hope that he did get a job here, because I wanted her to have him as much as possible.

It had only been a few weeks but she was already obsessed, and luckily, he was, too. I knew that even if he didn't get any of the jobs here, I wouldn't let them be separated. I doubted that he wouldn't find a job, but if he didn't, then I knew that I would be seriously looking at moving to Washington. Not just for him, but for Violet.

"Hey. You look…tired," Alice said, setting a coffee down in front of me.

I took it, even though I'd just had coffee fifteen minutes ago with Edward. "Thanks. It's just…nerves, I think."

"He really makes you that nervous, huh?" She asked, looking sympathetic as she sat down in the chair across from me.

"He does. Still. I didn't expect it, but he makes me feel like I'm fifteen again."

"It's weird. I wonder why," Alice mused.

I sighed, taking a big gulp of my coffee. "I do, too. But I think it's…well, it's because one, I know I wronged him and he has every right to hate me- which I don't want him to. And two, he's…Edward. I don't know. When I left Forks, I planned on never seeing him again. It wasn't a horrible breakup but it just seemed so final. I had _convinced_ myself that it was final."

"Well, the breakup _is_ final, right? Just because he's here for Violet doesn't mean you're together. I mean…nothing has happened, has it?"

"No," I said quickly. "Nothing has happened. No kisses, no flirting. But he's Edward. At one point I was sure that we would spend the rest of our lives together."

"Maybe you will. Just not…together," Alice said gently. "You'll be parents for the rest of your lives. Co-parents. Violet deserves to have you guys working together. Being there for her."

"I know. I just need to get my head on straight."

… …

"Mom, I want ice cream," Violet said, tugging on my arm. "Mom. Cookie dough ice cream."

"I heard you the first time," I said firmly. "They don't have ice cream here. This is just dinner. If you behave yourself and eat your dinner, then _maybe_ we can get ice cream later."

She pouted a little, but settled back into her seat. Edward and I had decided to pick Violet up from school together and take her out for a special dinner, since it was Friday. Edward was done with his interviews and I had told Alice not to call about work unless it was something she couldn't handle on herself. We wanted a night with Violet.

"Ice cream sounds good, Vi," Edward said, winking at her over his menu.

She beamed at him. "What's your favorite flavor, Da- um, Edward…?"

Edward looked up for a moment, his brow furrowed. "I like rocky road. But, um, Violet, I wanted to tell you that you can call me 'Dad'. If you want, I mean. I'd really like it, but only if you want to."

She just smiled at him again. "Okay," she said. "Dad."

Violet quickly returned to her coloring pages, but Edward and I shared a look. He was grinning from ear to ear, and I couldn't help but return his smile.

We were halfway through our dinner when Edward's phone rang. "Oh, uh, it's the recruiter from Northwestern," he said, his eyes wide.

"Go ahead, take it," I said. "Go!"

He came back five minutes later with a huge smile on his face. "I got the job," he said quietly. "They said I can start as soon as I get my temporary Illinois nursing license."

"Wow!" I exclaimed, standing up and giving him a hug before I could stop myself. "That's amazing, Edward. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Bella," he replied, returning the hug with a tight squeeze. "I can't believe it…"

"Vi, your dad is going to move here, for good!" I told her. "Isn't that great!?"

"Good job," she told him, her mouth still full of spaghetti. But neither of us bothered scolding her for talking with her mouth full as we sat back down at the table. She swallowed her food, then looked over at me. "We need to get ice cream," she said pointedly. "For…Dad."

"For Dad," I agreed, winking at her. "Does that mean you don't want any?"

" _Mom_."

Edward laughed, tousling Violet's hair. "We'll get some ice cream. But finish your dinner first, okay?"

By the time we finished up our dinner, got ice cream, and started back towards our place, Violet was just as physically exhausted as I had been emotionally exhausted earlier in the week. But unlike before, when I struggled to carry her, Edward scooped her up into his arms without a problem.

Things were going to be different now. And even though I was happy that Edward was here, that he was a great father now despite my bad choices, it would be hard. Change is rarely easy. It was selfish of me, and I know that I was horribly wrong, but for many years, it had just been me and Violet. I had convinced myself that not telling Edward was for the best, and that it would be just the two of us forever. It had taken me five years too long to realize how wrong I had been.

And there was no simple fix. So even though it wouldn't be easy, and we would all be dealing with changes, I knew this was the right thing to do.

… **..**

 **Thanks for continuing to read! I really appreciate it. I've been able to write a little more these past few days because I** _ **finally**_ **graduated. Whew. Now to take a year off : )**


	13. Chapter 13

**Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and happy weekend to everyone else! I'm working until midnight tonight and from eight am to four pm tomorrow, so there was time to squeeze this one out tonight : ) Hope you enjoy and have a great holiday season.**

 **There are some more bumps in the road, but things will work out. But I do have a favor to ask. If you don't like it, please don't read. I want you to love the things you read, even if it isn't by me! I still love each and every one of you and appreciate you so much, no matter if you like this story or not.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

I kissed my sister on the cheek, surprised but happy to see her.

"Hey, Rose. What are you doing here?" I asked, watching as she closed the door to the garage behind her.

"I thought I should probably return my key." She held up said key, then set it down on the kitchen table. "And I wanted to see you."

"Sit down," I said, grabbing two bottles of beer out of the fridge.

"Thanks."

I sat down across from her, eyeing my older sister warily. "No patients today?"

"No, my hygienists are doing continuing education today and tomorrow so…Emmett and I thought it would be a good time for a visit. And I figured I might as well spend some time with my baby brother, before he leaves. Congratulations, Edward."

"Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it," I said honestly. "Sorry the place is such a mess. I mean, more so than usual. Packing has been kind of crazy, and this has all happened so fast. It's been a busy week."

She nodded. "I can imagine. Moving from here to Seattle was bad enough…here to Chicago must be a doozy. I wish you weren't leaving so soon. I would have liked to through you a going away party or something. Give everyone a chance to say goodbye. But given the time restraints…how about dinner with Mom and Dad tomorrow? It'll just be family. And I bet I can convince Mom to make your favorites."

"Eh…" I ran my hand through my hair, considering it. "I guess. I don't think Dad is too happy with me. With the move, I mean."

"Edward…" Rosalie sighed. "He wants what is best for you."

"You don't get it," I argued. "He wasn't like this with you. _You_ did what he planned for. And it worked out for you, you love being a dentist. You wanted it. _I_ love being a nurse. I'm not going to change my mind. And I don't think he's going to change his."

"Come on, Edward. I think that Dad has really turned a corner. He was great at lunch a few weeks ago. I can't remember the last time we got through a day together without you two arguing."

"Yeah, well, for all I know, that was a one-time occurrence, "I said dryly. "And probably had more to do with Violet than me."

"Can't blame him. She's amazing, and…his granddaughter. His first grandchild."

"She is. But even though she's why I'm moving, he's not happy about it. He wanted me to go to Wash U, to follow in his path exactly. And I'm not doing that. I'm leaving the state, continuing to be 'just a nurse'. He doesn't respect what I do, Rosalie. That's why we argue."

She smiled sadly, reaching out and taking my hand in hers. "I know, Edward. And I am sorry."

"Thanks."

"So…change of subject. What's the plan? When you get to Chicago, I mean."

"I'm looking at places, but I don't want to make any decisions before I can see these places in person. And the rent is kind of crazy, so I think I might find a cheap temporary place first, just until I get my bearings and figure out where I want to live, you know."

"Hmm. Not staying with Bella?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. She knew. Of course she did- Rosalie had always been able to read my mind.

"No," I said quietly. "She offered, but…"

"How can you be so…I don't know, _okay_ with her? After all she did. After what you've missed?"

I shrugged, not looking her in the eye. "It's not _okay_. I don't know, Rose. I'm confused. And I still feel hurt. But she's…Bella."

"Bella, who kept your child a secret for five years," Rosalie pointed out. "I loved Bella. You know that. I was upset when she left. She was like a sister to me. But that doesn't mean what she did is excusable. Regardless of who she is to you, she did a horrible thing."

"I know that!" I said, agitated. "I _know_ , Rosalie. And I don't understand it, either. I wish I hated her. Maybe that would kill this feeling inside of me. Maybe it would finally squash my feelings for her. But I can't. I just can't, even though it makes no sense."

"You still love her." Rosalie dropped my hand, looking shocked. "After everything…"

"I didn't know until she came back. I just…I just thought that I couldn't get her out of my head because of the way things ended, the way she left. But then, after I saw her again and got used to her being back in my life…I knew that wasn't the case. I never stopped loving her."

"You can't just let it slide because you love her," Rosalie said gently.

"You know, I'm not blameless," I pointed out. "She did call me. More than once. And I ignored her call. I'm part of the problem."

"She called. That was good of her to do. But that was back when she found out she was pregnant. Then she gave birth, and she still didn't try again. Her parents knew, her brother. They never reached out to you, either. Five years passed, and she didn't call until she _had_ to be in town again. Tell me- if Jasper hadn't been in the hospital, do you think she would have come?"

I was silent.

"That's what I thought. Talk to her, Edward."

… …

"I told you that you could stay with us," Bella reminded me. Again.

"I know," I replied. "And thanks, but that's okay. Um, sorry to cut you off, but can I just talk to Violet?"

She hesitated for a moment, but a few moments later, Violet was on the other end.

We never talked very long on the phone, but Violet talked a mile a minute and got distracted quickly. Even though our phone calls were rarely longer than five minutes, it was more than enough. And soon enough, I wouldn't just have to rely on phone calls.

And all too soon, she was passing the phone back to her mother. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to Bella…it was that I didn't know what to say anymore.

"Hey again," she said after Violet gave the phone back to her. "So, you'll call again tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Um, probably around the same time. Have a good night."

"You too-"

I hung up before she finished, and covered my face with my hands.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

"I think it's finally catching up with me," I admitted to Alice, tucking my feet underneath me.

Alice and Jasper had taken Violet out for dinner tonight, and now that Jasper was reading Violet a bedtime story and tucking her into bed, Alice and I were getting some girl talk in.

"What's catching up with you?" She asked, frowning. "You look freaked."

"Edward hates me," I blurted out. "I thought…I don't know. I thought it was okay. He had been so understanding, so _nice_ to me when I didn't deserve it. I thought he took it incredibly well and didn't hate me for what I did. But he does."

"I'm still lost. Explain more," Alice said impatiently.

"He still calls Violet. More than ever. But…he won't talk to me anymore. He's short and impatient and cuts me off. No small talk, no talk at all. I have to pry answers out of him and he just seems like he doesn't want to talk to me at all. I don't know. It's caught up to me. He's realized how awful I was and now he just wants Violet. And, I mean, that's okay. She is his. But…it seemed like we were okay. It seemed like he didn't hate me."

She patted my knee gently, her face sympathetic. "I wish I had some advice to give. I really do."

"I know. Thank you. But I'm not even sure what's going on. I just…needed to get that off my chest. I think I'll feel better when I see him, and can talk to him. _If_ he'll talk to me. But enough about that. It's making me nervous, talking about it. What about you? And my brother?"

Alice blushed. I had probably only seen her blush once in all the years I had known her, but that was before my brother. It was a little strange, but I had never seen Alice happier…and I _really_ had never seen Jasper happier.

"Spill," I ordered, lowing my voice to a whisper.

"He's sweet," she said quietly. "He's better to me than any guy has ever been. I know he has some problems, and he knows too, but I think we're good for each other."

"I definitely think so, too. I'm happy that you two seem to be having such a good time together," I murmured. "It's a good feeling, to see both of you like this."

"Like what?" Jasper asked, reappearing from the hallway.

He weaseled between us on the couch, putting an arm around each of us. "Talking about me?"

"Nosy," I said, elbowing him in the side. "None of your business."

He rolled his eyes at me, but smiled down at Alice. "She's not giving you a hard time, is she?"

"No," Alice said, smiling back up at him with the same look in her eyes.

Then they were lost in their own world, like I wasn't even there anymore.

… …

"When Dad lives here, will I have a room at his house, too?" Violet asked, lying on her back on her bedroom floor.

"I'm sure you will," I said, nudging her with my foot. "But you'll have to clean that room, too. Come on, Vi. Your room looks like a toy factory exploded."

She looked up at me, sticking her tongue out. "I know, I like it."

"Well, I don't," I said, throwing some of her animals back on her bed. "Get up, Violet Lane."

She finally did as I asked, her hair full of static electricity from the floor. "Mom."

"What, Vi?"

"I don't want to clean two rooms."

"Then keep at least one of them clean. This one, preferably," I replied.

"Why doesn't Dad live here? With us?"

I frowned, but had known this question was coming. "You dad needs his own house, his own stuff. He'll share with you, but otherwise, it's his."

"Moms and dads usually live together. Why doesn't Dad live with us?"

"Well, your dad and I aren't married, or um, together. We're just your parents. He might get married to someone else someday."

"Will you marry someone else?" She asked, curious.

"Maybe," I said, regretting bringing it up.

"Why didn't you marry each other?"

Shit. I had expected questions, but not exactly _these_ questions. That's what I got for letting her watch Disney movies practically 24/7. She loved the wedding scenes.

"We were very young," I said firmly. "And it just wasn't right for us."

I was thankful when she got distracted by some of the animals that had gotten pushed underneath her bed. I had dated a little in the past few years, but had genuinely been so busy with the company and with Violet that I hadn't in what seemed like a very long time. Did I want to date again? Now that Edward Cullen was back in my life, it was even more confusing. I had been the one to break up with him, and I felt that it had been the right choice.

Of course, some of the choices I had made since had been horrible, and I would be living with those consequences for a long time. I don't think that I want to get back together with Edward. I'm just confused. It's not that I'm still hung up on Edward. It's just confusing.

I keep trying to convince myself that that's all it is.

… …

 **Thanks again loves, and happy holidays!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I hope you all had a happy start to the New Year! 2016 had plenty of bad times but it treated my writing well, so I can't be too unhappy with it.**

 **Visiting my sister out of state from Sunday-Wednesday and I'm not sure if I'll bring my laptop with me or not. Hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter of** _ **Free**_ **by this time next week or a few days later.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"I'm glad you found a place so quickly," Bella said, glancing around. Violet looked around with curiosity as well, but I noticed that Bella held onto her hand tightly.

"It's temporary," I assured her.

The place was cheap and had been available immediately, so I wasn't too surprised that it was a little shabbier looking than I would've liked. And small. The bedroom could barely be considered more than a walk-in closet and barely any of my furniture fit. However, I was here. It would have to do.

"Where's my room?" Violet asked.

I crouched down in front of her, taking her free hand.

"This isn't going to be my house for very long," I explained. "This is just until I find something better. And if it's okay with your mom, you two can come with me to look at places. That way we can make sure you help me decide on where to live, and pick out your own room. And when we find a place, you can decorate your room any way you want."

She seemed mollified, and quickly lost interest. "Can we get noodles for dinner?"

"She means Chinese," Bella explained. "Does that sound okay?"

"Perfect," I agreed. "Let me just grab my coat."

We left a few minutes later, Violet clinging onto each of us. She swung our arms back and forth, chattering as we walked down the street. Bella and I sat across from each other at the table while we ate, but both of us focused on Violet. The tension was growing between us, and I think it was growing increasingly obvious to each of us.

"You don't have to walk us home," Bella said after we finished our meal. "It's late- I think we'll get a taxi."

I had hoped to walk them home, tuck Violet into bed, and then finally have a serious conversation with Bella. That would have been the mature thing to do, and probably the right thing. But the coward in me won, and I just nodded my head.

"Okay. C'mere Violet, give me a kiss," I said, opening my arms to her.

She obliged, and squealed as I scooped her up and squeezed tight. Goodbyes were still hard, even now I lived here. Ten minutes apart still felt like far too much.

"Goodnight." Bella smiled slightly as I put Violet down on her own two feet. "I hope we didn't wear you out too much- have a good first day of work tomorrow."

"Yeah, Dad, have fun," Violet chimed in.

"Thanks, girls," I said, giving her one more kiss.

Bella hailed a taxi, and they were gone in a flash.

I walked back to my quiet apartment alone, lost in thought. Print-outs that my realtor had given me lay spread out on the coffee table, but I didn't give them another glance. I fell into bed with my shoes still on, staring up at the ceiling.

This move had been a step in the right direction. But there were still parts of my life that I was not happy with, and those things laid heavy on my heart, especially when I was alone.

We needed to talk.

… …

However, life got in the way.

I started work, and while I loved it, it was draining. When I wasn't at the hospital, I was spending time with Violet or trying to catch up on my sleep. Sometimes Bella was there when I came by the apartment to be with Violet, but lately, it seemed like Jasper or Alice, or both of them, were there in her stead.

She was busy with her company- she had warned me that she would have a lot to do over the next few weeks. Something about an extended holiday launch. I didn't understand, and she didn't explain.

We were becoming more than just two passing ships in the night. It seemed like we weren't even in the same ocean anymore.

Not long ago, I had thought that the only thing Bella and I had in common anymore was our daughter. Even though I now realized that wasn't true, it was hard to come to terms with. No matter what, I loved her. That connection was still there, and I thought that maybe she felt it too. But the connection was convoluted by hurt, bad decisions, and six years apart.

I was surprised when she opened the door when I arrived for one of my frequent visits with Violet.

"Oh, hey," I said. "I haven't seen you in a few weeks."

She stepped aside to let me enter the apartment. "I know…I'm sorry. Things have been crazy at work."

"Crazy good, I hope."

"Definitely good, thank you. Um, Violet is in her room. I told her she needed to finish putting her crayons away," Bella explained.

"I was hoping to take her to dinner," I said. "But now I'd like to take both of you, if you're free."

She hesitated. "Oh, um…"

"Please, Bella," I implored. "It's been forever since the three of us have been able to be in the same room, enjoying a meal together."

"Family dinner," Bella said, sounding cynical.

"Well…we are a family," I reminded her.

"Hasn't felt like it lately," she finally said, no longer sounding cynical. She sounded sad. "But that's not entirely your fault, I know that."

I frowned and reached out for her hand. She let me take it, but didn't look at me. "We really, really need to talk, Bella. Soon."

"Yes, we-"

"Dad!" Violet appeared, almost in a blur, and wrapped her arms around my legs. "Is it dinnertime already?"

"It sure is, Blossom," Bella answered for me as I hefted Violet up into my arms.

"And your mom is going to be joining us," I added before I kissed both of Violet's cheeks. "Why don't you go find your shoes and coat? Then we can get going."

She followed orders, running back towards her room when I put her down. I watched her go, knowing I'd never get tired of her enthusiasm for everything. She came back out with her furry snow boots on, even though it was only the beginning of November, and her yellow raincoat. Bella just smiled, and helped her with the zipper.

"Can we get hamburgers?" Violet asked as we walked down the street.

"Sure," Bella said easily, smiling down at her. "Does that sound good to you, Edward?" 

"Perfect," I replied.

Right now, in this moment, things felt fine. It felt natural for the three of us to be together like this, and I almost wished things could just stay this way. But I knew that wasn't possible. There was way too much that needed to be said and too many things that needed figured out. We had been putting it off for too long already.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

I watched Edward tuck Violet into bed later that night, my arms crossed in front of my chest. It was so natural between them, you would never know that they had only known each other for a matter of months.

He kissed her forehead gently, and stroked the skin of her cheek. I was so familiar with those movements, having done them myself thousands of times over the past five years. When I'd had Violet, I had been terrified. I had been young and had absolutely no idea what it took to be a mother. But luckily, the love came naturally and learning how to parent came after that. I shouldn't have been surprised that it seemed to be the same way for Edward.

And not for the first time, I thought about what it might have been like if he had been there. He would have held my hand, and cut the umbilical cord. He would have held Violet in his arms for the first time and loved her already.

By the time Edward finished and exited the room with me, there were tears in my eyes.

"Hey," he murmured, shaking his head. "Don't cry, Bella."

"I'm sorry," I said, turning away. "I'm so sorry."

He had said before that he was sick of me apologizing, but he didn't comment this time. I sat down on the couch and felt the cushion sink as he sat down as well.

"I don't mean to derail the conversation we need to have or make you feel bad by crying," I said truthfully. "I…I just can't seem to come to terms with this. With the consequences of what I did."

Edward just nodded.

"Seeing you with her just hurts," I added. "It's a constant reminder. But I'm sure it's even worse for you."

"Let's not focus on who has it worse or who was wrong right now," he said. "We share some of the blame, and I don't hate you, Bella. I…I can't. You're her mother and despite what happened, you brought my daughter into the world and now you _have_ let me into her life, even though it's much later. I love her so much that it almost makes it hurt less that I haven't been in her life until now. I know you don't understand, just like I can't understand some of your choices. But we're parents, and we have to co-parent now. You have to let me be her father and I have to let you be her mother. She needs both of us and we both need her."

"How can you be so level headed?" I asked, honestly curious.

Just thinking about our situation made me confused and stressed, but he looked calm as ever.

"It's the only way I can…cope, I guess," he murmured. "I am angry, Bella. But most of all, I am hurt. I didn't deserve this, you know. Regardless of how you felt about me back then."

"I know," I replied quietly. "I was stupid, selfish, immature…everything."

"Let's not focus on that tonight. Let's focus on now. What are we going to do? I'm here now, and I want to know that I can see my daughter regularly; have her in my life."

"Well, of course you can."

"I need a schedule," he explained. "Or at least some kind of specific agreement. I know my place is small but I'm already looking for a larger space and I hope to have one in a few weeks. I've never had her to myself, you know? That's what I want."

I swallowed thickly, but nodded. "Of course," I repeated. 

"So…for now, this is what I was thinking: I want to pick Violet up from school twice a week and keep her until 7:30. Then, I'll bring her home and tuck her into bed. On my weekends off, I'd like to have her for at least one night. After I get a new place, of course. And we could do things as a family on those weekends, too. I think she would enjoy that."

"Okay," I said faintly. "That all seems very fair."

"I'm going to be apartment hunting this weekend, and I'd like you to both come with me. Violet because I want her to like the place I get and you because…well, I guess you just know more about the city, and I want you to like the place I pick, too," Edward said earnestly.

"I appreciate that. Let me know when you're going, and I'll clear my schedule for a few hours."

"Good. Well, I guess I should head out now- I work in the morning. I wrote out my schedule," he said, reaching for his phone. "I'll text it to you, and we can start with the new arrangement right away."

I stood and walked him to the door, feeling like we had turned a new leaf but also knowing that there was still tension between us. Even after he left, I couldn't get him out of my head. I went to sleep knowing that this was just the beginning of a new life, for all of us.

… …


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter finally brings what many of you have been waiting for! Thanks for your patience. I did go ahead and post the first chapter of my next story, so go look at it if you're interested! It's only going to be the one chapter for now- at least until** _ **Free**_ **is finished and this one is further along.**

 **My work schedule is getting a little crazy over the next few weeks but I'll still be around! There might be some more late night updates, who knows. I was in Las Vegas last week and while I had an incredible amount of fun, I am happy to be back. I have never spent so much money on food in my entire life. It was actually kind of insane and I am happy to be back in a place where I can get three rolls of sushi for $12 instead of $30. It's the little things in life, yeah? : )**

 **Have any of you ever been to Vegas? What do you think of it?**

… …

"I found a new place," Edward said in greeting as I opened the door to the apartment to let him in. He was here to pick up Violet for dinner, still dressed in his scrubs from work and looking tired but pleased.

"That's great!" I said as I stepped aside to let him in. "Violet," I called, "your dad is here." I turned back to Edward, both of us lingering in the entryway. "Tell me about your new place."

He grinned, obviously excited to finally be out of the small apartment he'd been in for the past two months. "Two bedrooms, two baths, great views," he said. "Violet will love her room- it has a huge window overlooking the courtyard. And tonight after we have dinner, I'm going to take her to look at paint colors. I know it's fast and I don't move in for another couple of weeks but I want it to be ready for her as soon as possible."

"Wow- paint? You bought?"

"I did," Edward confirmed. "I'm planning for the future, and I want Violet to have a home with me."

"That's great, Edward, really," I said earnestly. "Congratulations. I'm sure Violet will love it."

He nodded, and then an awkward silence surrounded us. Things had gotten better since our last talk, and having a schedule and a plan for how we would share Violet had decreased some of the tension. But I felt like we both knew there was so much more that had to be said between us. However, busy schedules and hesitance from both of us had gotten in the way.

"Dad, I need your help with my shoelaces," Violet cried, running out of her room and making a beeline for Edward. He scooped her up into his arms immediately, and it never got old, never failed to make my heart twinge in my chest.

They chattered as Edward helped her with the laces of the brand new purple converse he had bought her- tiny purple replicas of the navy ones he wore. I watched with a small smile as he tied them for her, but also instructed her on how to do it in a gentle voice.

"Bye, baby," I said after they finished with her shoes. "I'll see you later tonight. Be good."

"Mom!" She huffed. "I'm always good!"

Edward and I shared a smile, and I leaned to kiss Violet on the forehead. "I know. I love you, Vi."

"Love you," she replied, sliding her hand into Edward's.

I waved goodbye, and sighed heavily as I shut the door behind them. It always hurt to see both of them go, especially Violet. It had taken a lot of getting used to, but even that didn't make the apartment feel any less empty when she was gone. Even though it was nice to have some alone time every once in a while, I missed her chatter, her energy, and even her sticky fingers and temper tantrums whenever she was gone.

But I knew she had to fill Edward's home with just as much joy, and that he made her happy, too. That made it easier.

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

I loved tucking Violet into bed, kissing her soft forehead and seeing her looking so sweet and peaceful. But as much as I loved it, it was bittersweet. Saying goodnight was so temporary, and even knowing that didn't make me dislike it any less.

"Is she asleep?" Bella asked as I quietly closed the door to Violet's room.

She was sprawled out on the couch, with what looked like papers for work spread out all around her. She looked exhausted, but her lips curled up in a smile when I met her gaze.

"Yep," I replied, shoving my hands in my pockets. "So…my schedule is kind of messed up this week. Can I have Violet on Friday instead of Thursday?"

"Of course."

"Okay. Thanks. Have a nice night."

I was out of the apartment in a flash, another thing weighing heavy on my heart.

There had been enough delay. Bella and I needed to talk. And not just about Violet…about us.

… …

"Edward? I thought you said you'd take Violet tomorrow. She's with Alice and Jasper…"

"I know," I said, hoping I wouldn't lose my nerve. "I just got off work, and I came to talk to you."

"To me?"

"About us," I said. "About how I feel about you. About…everything."

She stepped aside, letting me into the apartment.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

We had both been putting it off for weeks. Months, even.

But now he was here, in my living room, looking at me like he used to sometimes, back when we had planned on being together forever.

And it reminded me of the old Edward. Passionate, hot-headed, determined Edward. Who knew what he wanted and refused to waver. Who would do and say what he wanted, no matter who it hurt. I had still loved him and I knew that I had hurt him, too. But I hoped that we really were both different now. There was a lot that I would go through for him, even now, but I didn't want either of us to be hurt again. Back then, I had broken his heart by leaving, after he had made me felt used. Made me feel like I was just a piece of his life without any say and not a person. And more recently I had broken his heart by keeping Violet from him.

I knew he had changed; grown up. But those memories still ignited when he looked at me like this.

"I love you, Bella," Edward blurted out. "I love you so much that I could never hate you, even though sometimes I think that would be easier for me to bear. You have hurt me, and you've made me angry beyond what I can describe in words. But you have also given me the greatest gift. And I never fell out of love with you. I thought I did. I thought that I was with Lauren, and that she was my future. But the minute you came back into my life I knew that I had never stopped wanting a future with you."

The feelings that I had for Edward, the ones I had _always_ had, came crashing down around me. It was overwhelming. On one hand, wouldn't this simplify everything? I hadn't broken up with Edward because I didn't love him, I broke up with him so that I could go out, find myself, and build an empire. I had his daughter along the way, made wrong choices, but now we were back here, still in love with each other.

But I didn't feel this was right.

"You haven't forgiven me, Edward. And I don't blame you. But…"

"I have already forgiven you for everything you've ever done, and anything you could ever do," Edward insisted. "Am I okay with all of it? No. I hate that it happened like this, but Violet is amazing and you are amazing…it just never stopped, Bella. Just a few months ago, I felt like we no longer had a connection. But I can't believe how wrong I was."

"Then why have things been so…" I paused, searching for the right word. "Uncomfortable?"

"Um, because I was afraid you'd act like…well, like this. And I won't lie to you, Bella. I struggled with being angry and with not knowing what to do. Those feelings are still there. I'm just trying to be honest. But I think that being with you makes me happier. Less angry. More focused on the future."

I nodded, my emotions still swirling around inside my mind, fighting with each other.

"I love you," I finally said.

He sagged with relief, a smile curling at his lips.

"But…"

"No, no 'but'…" He murmured, reaching for me.

I stepped away, shaking my head. "There is _so much_ that we need to handle. We have a daughter, Edward. What if we can't make it last again? What if we hurt her? I've already done so many things wrong, Edward, and what if-"

"There are going to be thousands of 'what ifs'. Millions, probably."

"I also think that I don't deserve for it to be this…easy," I admitted quietly. "I've done horrible things, Edward."

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I know that. I'm not proposing marriage, Bella. I'm not asking to move in or even to officially date. I just want you to know how I feel, and know that I want us to move forward. Together. And we could start with dinner."

"Now?"

"Now."

… …

 **Something is starting!**

 **I want you to know that there is still a lot ahead of them. Bella did a very bad thing. Edward wasn't the most supportive guy back when they were teenagers. Did he deserve it? No. I don't think that, not at all. BUT sometimes you listen to your heart instead of your head. Bella did that before, and Edward is doing it now.**

 **As always, I love to hear all of your thoughts. Even your criticisms, because I just** _ **soooo**_ **appreciate any and all support, feedback, and simply your time. You take the time to read what I write and that is just amazing. This wouldn't be possible without you guys behind me.**

 **This was a shorter chapter BUT I will be posting again on Saturday night.**

 **Thanks again!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hearing more from Bella in this chapter.** _ **Free**_ **will be updating next but hopefully I'll be back for the next chapter of this one very soon. As I mentioned before, my work schedule has been totally insane and I'm trying to find a good balance. I'm right in the middle of a stretch of working twenty two days in a row and right now all I can think about is getting over the hump. Only ten days left!**

… …

Dinner was surprisingly…easy.

I didn't know how things could fall back into place so easily, but for now, it worked. It couldn't be like this forever, but it was nice to know that we could be comfortable with each other, even now.

"Thanks for dinner," I said. "You didn't have to pay."

"I know," Edward replied. "I wanted to. I was serious about wanting to date, Bella."

"Well, I still appreciate it. And it's kind of funny, isn't it? We never really _dated_ before. We were just…in a relationship. It all happened so fast."

He nodded in agreement. "I guess it's different when you're so young. I'm glad that you and I were friends first, then fell in love. It was…"

"A great first love," I finished for him, smiling. "There were problems, and we hurt each other, but all in all, I'm glad you were my first everything. I just wish we would have both handled things differently. I know we were young and obviously inexperienced, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if things would have been…"

"Different," Edward finished for me, his tone a little harsh.

"Edward, I…I think that we still need to discuss some things. I know we still have these feelings for each other and I am hoping that we can move forward. I know that you say you have forgiven me. But I still think that you need to understand _why_ I made that choice not to tell you I was pregnant. It was the wrong choice, and I know that now, but at the time, it seemed right. I just want you to know why I did it, because it wasn't to hurt you. It really wasn't."

"You don't have to-"

"No, Edward, I do." I cut him off sharply.

If I didn't get this out now, I never would. And I truly believed that I needed to if we could even hope to move forward together.

"I just want you to understand what I felt at the time. I felt like, and _still_ feel like, we broke up for the right reasons. We were at a standstill, Edward, and I wasn't happy. I don't think you understood what I was going through- I was floundering; totally lost. I knew that I wanted to do something with my life but for the life of me, I didn't know what. You know that there weren't many opportunities in Forks to start with, but add in the fact that I hadn't been able to afford a college education, and then there was practically nothing."

"I loved you so much, Edward. But I felt like I couldn't flourish, and that you didn't want me to. Instead of supporting me and trying to help me figure out what I wanted to do with my life, you told me not to worry about it. That you'd take care of me. And I appreciated that, Edward. I did. But that wasn't what I needed. Or what I wanted. So I left."

"Leaving was one of the hardest things I've done but I have no doubt in my mind that was the right choice. However, what happened later, and the choice I made then, wasn't right. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I had already gotten to Chicago and found a job. And I completely panicked. I was alone out here, and I knew that I had broken your heart when I left like that. I should have called you first. I know that now. But I called Jasper. He came to Chicago as soon as he could, and came with me to Planned Parenthood so that I could get checked by a doctor. Obviously, the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant and asked if I need to talk about my options."

Edward's eyebrows furrowed. "Your…options?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was nineteen and terrified. But even then I knew that I would be keeping the baby. When the doctor asked me that, it was a huge wakeup call. I knew that I was about to become a mother and I had to make major changes. I tried to call you that night, and you didn't answer. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. I didn't blame you, and I still don't. I wish I would've come home with Jasper right then and there, but instead I threw myself into that job and tried to make something of myself. I called you one more time, a week later, and when you didn't call back, I talked to my brother because I was terrified. But he told me he would help, and that I could do it. So…I did."

"You did," Edward agreed, sighing. "I wish I would've answered the phone, or called you back. You have no idea, Bella."

"I do," I argued. "Because I wish I would've tried harder to get ahold of you. Especially after Violet was born. I can't believe I acted so selfishly. Not even just towards you, but towards Violet. She deserved to know you just as much as you deserved to know her."

He smiled sadly, reaching out and squeezing my hand. "Can we both agree that we did some things wrong? Things that we wish we could change?"

"Of course," I answered immediately.

"Then maybe you can see why I have forgiven you. We will make more mistakes. More wrong choices. But the past is the past, and as much as it hurt me, I can't change the decision you made. And after hearing what you had to say tonight, I think I can see _why_. I still don't agree with it, and I know you don't either, but it makes some sense."

"And I just made it worse by waiting so long," I said, continuing to worry. "There were so many times where I could have told you. I avoided Forks for years, and made my family keep my secret. It wasn't fair to them or to Violet, because she did not deserve to be treated like a dirty little secret. And I kept her away from not just you, but your family. Her family. Seeing how much they love her already…God, it just really makes me see how awful I was."

"They love her," Edward said soothingly. "They will make up those lost years, a hundred times over. And so will I. Don't get me wrong, Bella. I hate it. I hate that it happened this way and I would give anything to change it. But I can't. And I can't hate you for it. Despite what you've done, you have raised my daughter to be the most amazing little human."

"She is pretty amazing," I agreed tearfully. "I made wrong choices, Edward, but I did everything else I could to give her a good life."

"And you have. Now I'm here, and I'm going to do the same."

We left the restaurant a few minutes later, the heaviness of everything we had said hanging around us. "Thanks for coming out with me tonight," Edward said, peeking over at me as we walked. "I hope…I hope you'll still want to do this again."

"I do," I said quickly. "And maybe next time we can have an actual date. I hope you don't mind that I had to get all of this off my chest tonight. It's just been weighing on me for months, and if we're starting something…you needed to know."

"I'm glad we had that talk," Edward assured me. "We're laying a foundation here. I needed to know that stuff. Because honestly, it _does_ make me understand a little better."

We continued the walk home, enjoying quiet conversation. Our hands brushed several times, and we exchanged smiles, but that was it. And it was nice. _More_ than nice.

And it gave me hope for our future.

… …

 **Short again, since I had to break up this chapter and the last one due to that crazy schedule.**

 **See you soon, hopefully! Hope you're all doing well : )**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well. My work schedule continues to be INSANE with many more fourteen hour days on my horizon. It's totally illegal for me to be working this many days in a row so my co workers, managers, and I are trying to cut back on some days but there aren't that many options because both of my jobs are in the same place and it looks** _ **really**_ **bad for me, a part time employee, to go into overtime in two departments.**

 **Anyway, I'm hoping that my hours can get cut down more. But I can write more at my late night desk job so updates will continue and will probably be later at night for a while longer.**

 **Thanks so much for sticking around!**

… …

I stayed late at the office with Alice, but when I finally got home and let myself into the apartment. It was dark, but I immediately saw Edward sitting on the couch.

His shoulders were hunched, and he didn't look up at me as I turned the lamp on and tentatively sat down next to him. He turned his head when I rested my hand on his arm, and smiled sadly. "My dad called while Violet and I were at the zoo," he said quietly. "He said he knows someone in admissions in Northwestern, and that he called him the other day. Then he called me tonight, furious that I haven't applied to medical school. And even more furious when I told him that I would _never_ be applying to medical school."

"Edward…I'm sorry," I said, my heart breaking for him.

"I feel like it ruined my day with Violet," he confessed. "I don't want her to see me like that."

"These things happen. I'm sure it didn't ruin your day together. She's five, Edward. As long as she got to go to the zoo with her dad, she was happy."

He nodded, rubbing his hand over his face. "I know. It just feels awful. I thought that my dad was over all of that. He was so great about Violet, and was actually supportive of me moving here. That phone call just really made me realize that he _still_ doesn't accept that I love my job and that I don't want to follow in his footsteps. That he's still disappointed in me."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I wish there was something I could do, other than tell you that you're an amazing father and that I'm proud of you for sticking to your own path."

"Thank you," Edward replied, finally cracking a real smile. "That's enough about me. How was your day? You worked pretty late tonight."

"It was really good, actually," I said. "Alice and I stayed late to look through our billings…not exactly my area of expertise, but someone has to do it. I don't really trust someone coming in from the outside to do it, so eventually we have to hire someone within the company."

"What about your brother?" Edward asked, surprising me. "If you can wait to hire someone, maybe ask him if he's interested. He could take that time to go to school, take classes…whatever he needs to do."

"That's actually a really good idea," I said, excited. "Maybe he would be interested. Thank you…I'll have to talk to him about it."

"You're very welcome. Did you eat?" Edward asked, just as my stomach rumbled loudly. We both laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Vi and I had spaghetti for dinner. There are leftovers in the fridge."

I thanked him, and although I started to stand, Edward offered to get it instead. I accepted his offer, leaning back on the couch and putting my feet up on the coffee table. It was nice to have another adult in the house. I was so used to it just being me and Violet…and I loved that, but this was great, too. Especially because it was Edward, and especially because I knew that this was much better than I deserved.

"I found a bottle of wine," Edward said, emerging from the kitchen. "Do you want a glass?"

"Sure," I replied, turning to smile at him. I took the glass he offered me, as well as the bowl of spaghetti. "Mmm, did you guys go to the Pasta Bowl?"

"We did," Edward confirmed, sipping from his own wine glass. "Vi insisted."

I giggled, knowing that Violet's absolute favorite was Pasta Bowl. "She definitely knows what she likes. How was the zoo…other than your phone call?"

"Well, other than the call, it was great. Violet showed me all of her favorite exhibits. I've actually never been to a zoo like that before. It's huge."

"It is. I always take Violet to their Holiday Magic event around Christmas…you should come with us this year."

"I will," Edward promised. "I'd love that."

We continued to talk and drink while I finished my dinner, and Edward smiled at me crookedly. "You have…" he gestured to my chin, then reached over and brushed his thumb against it. "Sauce," he finished, smirking.

"Oh." I reached up and covered my chin. "Was that all of it?"

He laughed, wiping his hand on one of the napkins he had brought. "Yeah," he assured me.

I set the bowl down on the coffee table and turned to face him, suddenly very aware of how close we were. I watched as he swallowed thickly, and he reached out his hand to take mine. I let him, loving how holding his hand felt exactly how it had six years ago.

"Would it be totally, completely ridiculous if kissed you?" Edward blurted out.

I laughed slightly, feeling my cheeks redden. "Are we fifteen again?" I teased. "Of course you can. I love you, Edwa-"

He cut me off, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine. My hands immediately came up to the back of his head, holding him against me.

We kissed for several long moments, but despite the feelings we both knew we had for each other, it remained chaste.

"I really, really missed that," Edward murmured after our lips broke apart. "God, Bella…"

"Just like I remembered," I admitted. "Fireworks."

He agreed, kissing me one more time. "Fireworks," he agreed."

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

Her lips were just as sweet as they had been before, and I thought maybe that was a huge reason of why she had always seemed like the one for me. Everything she did was perfect. Perfect for me. We were perfect for each other.

I still wished that things had happened differently. I hated on what I had missed out on- not only with Violet, but also with Bella. I had always wanted to be with her. And maybe some of the things I had wanted weren't right, and I had overlooked Bella's feelings back then…but I knew that things were different now. We both knew it.

The road back together had been nothing like I had expected. Even while I had been with Lauren, I had known that Bella was the person I had wanted to end up with. I had just pushed those feelings back, believing that she was better off without me, and me without her. Now I wished that we hadn't wasted all of those years. I shouldn't have been with Lauren, and Bella shouldn't have kept Violet from me. One was worse than the other, but all things considered, we did share some of the blame.

It helped that every time I looked at Violet, my heart swelled and I felt like I was the happiest man in the world. I couldn't be angry all of the time when I had my daughter in my life now. It wasn't the man I wanted to be. My hot-headed days were behind me, left in my younger self. That had been part of the reason I had lost Bella the first time, and even though I still felt angry sometimes, I couldn't let those feelings rule me like I once had.

"I should go," I said eventually, but I didn't let go of Bella's hand. "I work in the morning."

"Okay," Bella answered, but she didn't let go of my hand, either. If anything, she squeezed tighter.

"Can we have a movie night on my next day off?" I suggested. "Me, you, and Vi?"

She nodded, smiling. "That would be amazing."

"How about at my place? So you can see it?" I really did what Bella to see my new home- not just to welcome her further into my life but also so she could see that I was serious about providing for Violet. And eventually, her, too.

"I'd love that. Violet keeps telling me about the paint color you guys picked out, and the big windows in her bedroom."

"You could help us paint, too," I added. "Probably next weekend."

"I have to work next weekend," Bella said regretfully. "But I can't wait to see it."

"Well, how about I take you out when you're done at work, instead? We could get dinner or drinks. Whatever you feel like."

"That would be amazing," Bella said quietly. "I would love that."

"It's a date then."

… …

"Rosalie, I don't want to talk about it," I said crossly. "I really, really don't."

She sighed over the phone, just like she always did. Always the big sister, always concerned. I loved her, and I appreciated that she cared about me, but I also knew that she didn't approve of some of the choices I had made. I also couldn't stand when she tried to fight battles for me and our father. I hated that she was in the middle, and I hated that she felt like she had to be. It wasn't fair to her, and I didn't want to fight with anymore family members than I had to.

"He's my father too, Edward, and he's just-"

"Look, Rosalie, I didn't want to go here, but he is _not_ the same father to me that he is to you. _You_ did everything according to plan, and that's great. You followed the path and became successful. You own your own practice and your patients call you Dr. Cullen. You're getting married to an equally successful guy that loves you, and you're waiting to have kids until you're married. You did everything right. You always have. I didn't become a doctor. I didn't do what dad always wanted for me, or even what _I_ had planned for. I got my girlfriend pregnant when we were teenagers. I didn't know I was a parent until my daughter was almost six years old. I am a _failure_ to him, Rose. A complete failure."

"Edward…" Rosalie's voice broke, and I immediately regretted everything I had said, even though I thought it was completely true. "I'm sorry, Edward."

I paused, searching for the right words. "It's not your fault, Rosalie."

"I hate that you feel this way. You're not a failure. Not even close. You're a great nurse, Edward. You care so much. And you're already such an amazing father. I wish I could be around to see it, and to really get to know my niece. I don't mean to make excuses for Dad, because I know things between the two of you are so complicated. But maybe he feels the same way I do. About Violet, I mean."

"He knows where we're at," I said bluntly.

… …

 **Thoughts? Hope you guys enjoyed. I think** _ **Free**_ **will update next, and then this one again. That's tentative though…I never really know, as I'm sure you can tell ; )**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks so much for your patience! I actually had bit more time off last week than I was supposed to…and I spent all that time attempting to catch up on sleep and other aspects of my life that have been severely neglected. Now the crazy schedule has resumed in full force, so here I am!**

 **Also, thank you for continuing to read and review. I've been awful about replying lately- only getting to a handful each chapter. I really am sorry about that, but please know that I read and cherish every review left and it means so, so much to me.**

 _ **Free**_ **will update next after this one. I did go ahead and add the second chapter of my newest story,** _ **Me and You**_ **because I have zero willpower, but I really am trying to focus on this one and** _ **especially Free**_ **, since we're getting so close to the end!**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"I told my mom that I don't want them to come for Christmas," I said, resting my head on Bella's lap.

On the nights that I didn't work, we often ended up like this. I had fixed dinner for the three of us, both of us had helped Violet with her "homework" before watching a little television or a movie, and then one of both of us tucked her into bed. Bella usually left that to me, which I appreciated.

It was a special little ritual that Violet and I had developed, and it meant so much to me. I read to her for about half an hour each night that I tucked her in. We had long finished the book I had bought her back in Washington and had moved on to the Harry Potter series. It was nothing that she could read on her own, so it was doubly special. After she was tucked in, the night belonged to me and Bella.

These last couple of weeks had been close to perfect, but there had been a few things that I could no longer ignore.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, threading her fingers through my hair and scratching my scalp gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Her feelings were so hurt, but…I just couldn't let him come here," I said. "And I couldn't ask her to spend the holidays away from him. So I said they should just spend it with Rosalie and Emmett. Things haven't gotten better in the last few weeks. Maybe it was foolish to hold out hope that they would…"

"It wasn't," Bella assured me. "He's your father, Edward. I know you don't _want_ this conflict between the two of you."

"I just hoped that my mom would step in," I admitted. "She's always stood back and let my father do what he wants. Always. And not just about me or even Rosalie, about everything. He always gets his way, especially with her. I don't know why I thought that she would try and help. Wishful thinking, I guess."

She was quiet for a moment, her fingers continuing to massage my scalp. "Maybe this will be a wakeup call. Not being able to see Vi for Christmas is a pretty big deal."

"Was I too harsh?" I asked, peering up at her. "Should I have let them come anyway?"

"Edward, you know that's up to you," Bella said gently. "It's not my place to tell you what to do, especially in this situation. They're your parents. However, I do appreciate that you're exerting caution when it comes to your dad and Violet."

"He loved her," I said sadly. "He was amazing that day we all had lunch at their place. And I have no doubt that was genuine. But I can't in good conscience allow him to see my daughter when he feels this way about me. Things are still fragile. And if he can't accept me, then he can never truly accept her. We're a package deal now. I can't run the risk that one day she'll do something he doesn't approve of, and then he'll treat her the way he's treating me."

"Is there no chance that your mom will…I dunno, try and mediate? I can't imagine she's happy about this."

"She's not," I agreed. "But like I said…she won't go up against him."

Bella sighed, shaking her head. "Not even for her son?"

I didn't respond, and Bella just pulled me closer to her and held me.

… …

"I was hoping you've reconsidered," my mom said as soon as I answered the phone.

"No, mom, I haven't."

My heart ached to be treating my mother like this, but I truly felt there was nothing else I could do.

"Like I said, I have absolutely no problem with you coming to spend Christmas with me and Violet. But I refuse to be around Dad right now, and that means he can't see my daughter, either. This is how things have to be. I'm sorry."

I heard her sniffle over the phone, and I held brought my hand up to cover my face. This was even harder than I thought it would be. "I'm sorry, Edward. I am."

"There _is_ something you could do about it," I reminded her. "I know you're sorry, mom. But it doesn't help the situation. He needs to accept me for who I am. I'm happy, and I'm successful. I might have had the academic qualifications for medical school, but I _want_ to be a nurse, and I'm good at it, mom. I get the most out of helping patients hands on, and caring for them. I save lives, too. Sometimes in a more direct way, sometimes not. But what I do _is_ important, and he needs to know that."

"I know that, Edward, but maybe you could talk to him-"

"I _have_ talked, mom!" I exclaimed. "It has done no good, because he doesn't listen. And I'm done talking _at_ him. And that's what it is, because he has absolutely interest in what I have to say. And until that changes…well, then my mind won't change, either."

… …

"What do you want for Christmas, Vi?" I asked, frowning as I tried to figure out how to get her hair into the braids that Bella sometimes did for her.

"I already wrote my list for Santa," she replied, remaining still despite my inept tugging on her hair.

"I know, but what do you want from me? It's our first Christmas together, and I figured that it was a good enough reason to get a special gift. From me."

She was quiet for a moment, and I felt more nervous about being a father than I had for a while. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up that it was our first Christmas together. Maybe kids didn't think that maybe. Maybe it was-

"I'll have to think about it," she said, interrupting me and making me laugh.

"Okay, Violet," I agreed. I would get her what she asked for, hopefully something fun, and then I knew that I would also get her something sentimental. I had no idea what so far, but I knew I wanted it to be special. She deserved it, and I was looking forward to making up for the Christmas's with my daughter that I hadn't been able to have been a part of.

I think Bella knew I felt that way, too, because she was going out of her way to make Christmas special for Violet and I; making it about the two of us. We had already started shopping for things on Violet's list, which had reminded me that I needed to find a present for Bella, too.

We were still in an odd place with each other- spending time together and trying to get to know each other again. Our feelings were still strong, but we had yet to move forward officially. I wasn't sure what either of us was waiting for, but we were enjoying the time we could spend together before life got hectic again.

… …

"Tell me you're not still agonizing over her gift."

I smiled over at Bella, a little sheepish. "I am. I want it to be special."

"I know you do," she said gently, her tone light. "And it will be. Don't overthink it, Edward. She already thinks you are the sun and the moon."

We strolled down the street hand in hand, bundled up against the bitter Chicago cold. We had just dropped Violet off at a playdate with one of her kindergarten classmates, so now we were on our own.

"You never told me what _you_ want for Christmas," Bella pointed out. "If you don't, you're just going to end up with socks."

"Well, I could say the same of you," I pointed out. "I guess we're both in danger of getting nothing but socks."

"I shopped for you yesterday but couldn't find anything," Bella admitted. "You're a lot harder to shop for than I would have thought."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm in the same boat. Two hours of online shopping resulted in presents for everyone else on my list but you and Violet are proving to be more of a challenge. I think…it might be harder for you and I because we haven't really defined what we are to each other, even though we both know that we love each other."

Bella nodded, her smile shy. "Yeah, I had that thought, too."

"And these past few weeks of getting to know each other as the people we've become and as parents has taught me that I don't want things to be undefined anymore. I love you, Bella," I said through a giant smile, "and I'd like to make things official again."

"Will you be my boyfriend? Again?" Bella asked, making me laugh.

I leaned to kiss her, cupping her face. "Of course I will. And this time, I'm going to be the best boyfriend I can be. I'm going to make you happy."

"You already make me happy," Bella murmured after our lips left each others. "I promise that things won't happen the way they did last time. Not just because we have Violet to think of, either. Because I love you and I'm serious about you. Because you somehow forgave me for what I did to you, and loved me despite of it."

We kissed again, and I swore to myself that I wouldn't let Bella go this time, just like I would never let Violet go. Violet had become my everything the moment that I had met her, just like Bella had back when we were fifteen years old.

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

I stared up at my ceiling, listening to the even sound of Violet's breathing.

She didn't usually sleep in my bed, but tonight I had been feeling clingy and let her fall asleep in here while watching a movie on my laptop. Edward was working tonight and for the next two days, and I somehow already missed him.

We had been moving towards a relationship for the past couple of weeks, but something about finally making things official again had me lost in thought.

I knew things were incredibly different now- we both did. If they hadn't been different, I knew neither of us would have ever thought being in a relationship again would be a good idea. But things _were_ different, and this was serious.

It had only been a few days now, but I already felt the clock ticking on when to tell Violet. It was such an odd conversation to have with our daughter, especially since she was so young and she had just gotten used to the idea of having Edward in her life…in _our_ life.

As always, I wanted her to be happy, healthy, and safe. Edward being in her life permanently was part of that, and now that he and I were together, that dynamic was still there, but had shifted slightly. He would, of course, always be her father. But what would it be like when she knew him as my boyfriend, as well? And then my husband?

I had absolutely no idea if that would change anything for her- I knew nothing about this type of situation. A few weeks ago, I hadn't thought it possible. And a few months ago, I hadn't thought of it at all.

… ….

 **Thanks again guys. See you soon.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Happy Sunday! Hope you're all having a good start to your week. Work slows down starting this Tuesday so I'm practically counting down the minutes and hours. I hope to be seeing more of you guys once I finally catch up on my much needed sleep.**

 _ **Free**_ **updates next, and I think I'll be trying to squeeze in the last several chapters of that in before the end of the first week of March. We shall see.**

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

"When will Grandma Rae get here, and Grandpa Charlie?" Violet asked, barely glancing up from the pile of giftwrap in front of her.

She was "helping" me wrap presents, and had paused when she had come across the pair of shoes I had told her were for my mom.

"Grandma and Grandpa aren't coming for Christmas day this year," I explained. "Remember? I told you it would just be us and your dad. Grandma and Grandpa will come a few days later. They'll spend the New Year with us."

"I'm staying up until midnight this year," she said authoritatively. "Dad said I could."

"You can try," I said lightly. This was the first time I would allow Violet to try and stay up until midnight, and I was already dreading her being grumpy and sleepy the following day if she did stay up late.

"What about my nana and pop? And my aunt?"

I hesitated, not sure if Edward had said anything about Christmas with his family to Violet- or rather, lack thereof. Violet had seemed to love Edward's family, and I felt bad that she hadn't been able to spend any real time together with them since they came into her life. But I also realized that tensions were running high in the family, and I more than respected Edward's choice to kept Carlisle out of Violet's life until things changed. He felt it was the right thing for Violet, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Your dad's side of the family won't be coming for Christmas, but maybe they'll be able to plan a visit sometime next year."

She nodded, pacified, and we fell back into our wrapping routine.

"Are you excited to spend the night with Uncle Jasper?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Ya. He said that Aunt Alice would paint my toenails."

I smiled to myself, thrilled that Alice and Jasper were still going strong. They were really be able to bring out the best of each other when they were together, and even though their relationship had moved quickly, it just seemed perfect for them.

Sometimes I still worried about my brother, which was natural. But I worried a little less now that Alice was a stabilizing force in his life and had given him a reason to take better care of himself. And Violet loved spending time with them, so it was a win-win. She was staying there tonight…all night. It was not only the first night she was staying over at her Uncle Jasper's, but also the first night that Edward would be spending here.

It felt so juvenile, being all excited that the house was empty so that we could hook up. I had memories of doing the exact same thing while we had been teenager- paying Jasper $20 to go spend the night with a friend so that we could have the house to ourselves. Maybe it was juvenile, but I hadn't been this happy with a man in a long time. In fact, not since before Edward and I had broken up. There had been two guys that I had dated during the five years that we had been apart, but those relationships had never come this far emotionally. They had never met Violet, or spent the night. I had never really let them in.

But I had let Edward in, and by some miracle, he had let me back in, too.

I had been so nervous to tell Violet about the change in our relationship, even though she was just a little girl and this stuff didn't seem to matter to her all that much. And it hadn't. I had explained that Edward was going to be around just as often, if not more, and not just as her dad, but also as my boyfriend. And in true Violet fashion, she was just happy to spend more time with both of her parents, together.

I worried that we were spoiling her lately, especially Edward, but maybe that was okay. He felt like he was making up for lost time, and I wanted to do everything I could to make him realize that Violet was just happy to spend time with him. He was so worried about what to get her for Christmas, and so focused on trying to make it special for her.

He didn't realize that it was already special to her, because he was here. Just like she lit up his world, he also brought so much color and love into hers. I wanted him to know that we were just as happy to have him in our lives, and I hoped that my Christmas present to him would help him realize it.

… …

"It's perfect," I told him, examining the delicate charms on the equally delicate silver bracelet Edward had pulled out of one of his shopping bags.

The charms were tiny, but they painted a clear picture. There was an ice cream cone, for their shared love of the dessert. There was a stethoscope to reflect Edward's career, and even a tiny pink lipstick to reflect mine. Red rain boots, just like the ones she had worn the first time they had met, dangled in between an airplane, to depict the move Edward had made, and a purple tinted paint brush to represent both the paintings Violet had made for him and the afternoon they had spent painting her room in his apartment. Every single charm was meaningful and sweet.

Violet was still only five, so the sentiment might be lost on her, but I knew she would love the pretty bracelet and the fact that her father had picked out each and every charm specifically for her. And in a few years, she would appreciate the meaningfulness of this gift even more.

"Took me forever to pick them all out," Edward admitted as I continued to study the charms. "But I think it was worth it."

"Definitely," I agreed. I ran my thumb over a small green ball charm towards the end of the chain, frowning slightly. "What's this one? It's the only one I can't figure out."

"Oh…" Edward blushed slightly as he leaned in to look at it with me. "That first time we met at the diner, and you gave Violet quarters for the gumball machine…and she brought me a green one. Maybe I dug too far, but-"

"No, that would be impossible. It's perfect, Edward. So meaningful and special. You've only known each other for a few months, but look at all these memories you already have together. You're an amazing father…and my only regret is not letting you be one sooner."

He was quiet for a moment, and I knew he agreed with me. "What's done is done," he said after a moment. "I'm her father, and as much as I wish I hadn't missed those first five years, I won't let it define my relationship with Violet or even with you. Now I'm not going anywhere, and I'll be able to make up all of that time, ten times over."

"I know," I said quietly. "And I'm so glad."

… …

The rest of our evening with off without a hitch- dinner at a steakhouse Edward had been dying to try and then drinks at my favorite lounge.

It was incredible how easily things had fallen into place, and how comfortable we were. It was like even though we had both grown up, matured, and changed, we still fit together perfectly. There had been a time that I had thought Edward was too stubborn to ever change, and I had never been so happy to be so wrong.

The time apart had probably been for the best- that we had both agreed on that. It had been necessary for us to become the people that we were now, even though it wasn't fair that I had kept Violet away from Edward in the process. Just a few months ago I had thought that we had been apart for too long, and too much had happened for us to ever even be close again.

But when we were alone together, sometimes it felt like no time had passed at all.

And when we kissed, that feeling was exemplified.

Now, as we kissed in the dark and shed our clothes on the way to my bedroom, it was multiplied infinitely. It felt like this was exactly where we were supposed to be.

"Maybe things haven't changed that much," I teased, smirking down at Edward as he knelt between my legs on the bed and peeled my underwear off.

"Shh," he murmured, and I fell back onto the bed as I felt his stubble against my inner thighs.

Yeah, some things don't change…

I threaded my fingers through his soft hair, shamelessly taking what I needed. He didn't seem to mind, though, responding enthusiastically and redoubling his efforts when he could tell that I was close. After I was out of breath and entirely satisfied, I felt boneless as Edward kissed his way back up my body.

Back when we were teenagers, I would have never let him kiss me after…that, but now, I welcomed his lips. He didn't seem to mind, and I was so crazy about him and comfortable that I didn't anymore, either.

"You taste the same," he whispered, trailing trails from my lips back down to my neck. "And you feel the same…"

"My body is…different," I corrected him, thinking about the stretch marks on my thighs and stomach and the softness that had never gone away after Violet's birth. I had been uncomfortable with those signs of motherhood at first, but had come to love them and what they signified.

"You're still perfect."

I wanted to melt, but he wasn't down.

Edward's hand brushed over my stomach, tickling slightly. "It's different because you carried my baby inside of you, gave birth to her, and then sacrificed parts of yourself to raise her. Yeah, it's different. But it's _better_."

"Come here," I said, pulling him upward so that I could kiss him again. We were both naked now, but we were in no rush. We took our time reacquainting ourselves with each other's bodies again, falling back in love with the feeling of being together like this.

It had been a long time, so I winced slightly when he pushed inside of me, but I was so aroused that it didn't take me long to adjust.

"Hey," I murmured, reaching up and cupping Edward's face in one of my hands. He stilled, no longer moving inside of me but still breathing heavily. "I love you."

His face relaxed again, a lazy smile taking over. "I love you, too."

… …

"Remember when we said we were going to take things slow?" I chuckled, staring up at the ceiling.

Edward laughed too, throwing his arm over my waist and pulling me even closer. "We could only go so slow," he reminded me. "We've known each other forever, and we have a daughter. I know we're different people now…but we never really stopped loving each other, even if we may have thought we did."

"I know. It's just funny. But…" I looked over at him, blushing. "I couldn't wait any longer."

He groaned playfully, but was quickly silenced when I kissed him.

Eventually we broke apart again, and Edward rested his head on my chest. "Do you think Vi is having a good time?" He asked, glancing up.

I loved how much he cared for her, and that now, we were always on the same page when it came to Violet. "I'm sure she is," I assured him. "Jasper and Alice spoil her rotten. She'll be ready for us to pick her up in the morning, though."

"I miss her."

"Me, too. It's funny, isn't it? Sometimes she drives me crazy, but a few hours away from her and I can't wait to see her again."

"So…should we pick her up together?" Edward asked. "I know you said you tried to explain things to her, but does she really get it?"

"Eh, I don't know if she does. She knows that we'll be together more though, and that she will still see us just as often if not more. I don't think she's really at the age to understand or care about this kind of thing. I don't mean it in a bad way, but kids her age are still pretty egocentric. The only things really on her radar are things that affect her."

Edward nodded, looking satisfied. "Good."

"Yeah. Speaking of which…she did ask about Christmas," I said, remembering my earlier conversation with Violet. "First she asked about my parents, and I explained how they were coming later…then she asked about your parents."

"Fuck. That's something I'd rather not deal with right now. I hate that I'm keeping Mom and Rosalie away, but it's painfully obvious that they're on his side. I can't have him around her, and now I don't know about them, either. I just wish it wasn't all so toxic, because I _do_ want her to know my family. _Her_ family."

"I know," I said quietly. "I understand, and I wish there was something that I could do."

"Thank you, but I really don't think there is. I don't even know what I can do at this point."

I hated the way this conversation had put a damper on the night we had just shared together, but it was just another reminder that we were grown up now, and had so many other responsibilities besides just ourselves.

"Come here," Edward said, almost like he could read my thoughts.

I went to him, and we slipped back into our own little world for a few more hours.

… …

 **I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Long time no see! I finally managed to finish up** _ **Free**_ **and mark it complete, so my focus is back! Only seven more chapters of this one to go. I'm also working on** _ **Me and You,**_ **so feel free to check that out if you're looking for something else to read in between updates of this.**

 **Hope you're all doing well, and that you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think!**

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

I had been wrapped up in the magic of Christmas, but was quickly drawn in by a whole other type of magic as I took a moment to watch Edward and Violet open presents together. Wrapping paper surrounded both of them, and the bow Violet had stuck on his head stuck to his hair precariously. She had loved the toys she had gotten from Santa Claus, and had beamed with pride as Edward opened his gift from her.

The "signed" artwork of the two of them had been her idea, and she had spent three afternoons at the kitchen table with paint before finally deeming them good enough. I had also helped her create a scrapbook of the two of them, including her baby photos and leaving plenty of blank pages for future memories. His final present from Violet was a pair of tickets to see the Chicago White Sox play Edward's Seattle Mariners. She had never been to a baseball game before, and I was sure Edward would love sharing that experience with her. He looked completely overwhelmed with happiness after he opened her gifts, and that was all I wanted for the both of them.

He had given her several small presents first- a play "nurse" kit, the doll she had been lusting after for weeks, and two gorgeous, ornate, and perfectly accurate snow globes depicting the city of Chicago and the landscape of Washington State. She had been in love already, but when he pulled out the charm bracelet, the smile on her face made me want to cry.

"Dad!" She cried, looking at the charms. "My own fancy bracelet?"

"Yep," he confirmed, helping her fasten it around her wrist. "You're a big girl- I know you can be trusted to have something nice. You have to take care of it, okay? It's special."

She nodded, ghosting her tiny fingers over the charms. "Okay," she agreed.

"It's special because it's expensive," Edward continued. "But more so because it's from me to you. I'll always be here, Vi. Even when I can't be right next to you, I'm never going to be far away."

"You used to be far away," Violet said, her five year old innocence peeking through.

"I know," Edward said, glancing over at me.

I winced slightly, but Edward just shook his head at me and returned his focus to Violet.

"But now that I have you, I will never be far away again. I'm sorry I wasn't here before, but I promise you that I want to spend the rest of my life making that up. I love you so much."

She threw her arms around his neck, charm bracelet jingling quietly. "Love you, dad."

I wiped at my eyes, feeling almost like an intruder on this sweet moment. But I was here, and I couldn't ignore the fact that I was the reason Edward felt like he had to make so much up to our daughter. He never pinned blame, especially when talking to Violet, but I think we both knew. The difference was that he seemed to have somehow made his peace with it.

He assured me that he had, but a part of me had to doubt him. I loved him, and I trusted him, but I still couldn't understand.

… …

"How was your Christmas?" Alice asked, sitting in her usual spot across from my desk. There were only a few people in the office today, since it was only the day after Christmas, but Alice and I had agreed to meet to go over a few things before my parents came from Washington, because we wouldn't be back in the office until after the New Year.

"It was…good," I said carefully, not looking up from the spreadsheet I was studying. "What about you?"

"It was 'good'?" She questioned. "Mine was fucking incredible. Now the bigger question is why wasn't yours?"

Shaking my head, I tried to formulate my answer in a way that made sense. "Don't get me wrong…it was incredible. We had such a good time and Violet was so happy. It's just…I feel so guilty," I admitted, my voice dropping to a whisper.

"Has Edward given you any reason to think that he's holding a grudge?" Alice asked.

"No…I mean…he said that sometimes he's still angry but that he's putting it all behind him. That he won't let what happened define his relationship with me or with Violet. Seeing them together on Christmas day was so sweet. He gave her a beautiful, sentimental gift and made her promises I know he'll never break. I just know that it's my fault he feels like he needs to go the extra mile, and assure her off all of these things that are, to her, already guaranteed."

"If he's letting it go…maybe you need to, too," she said gently. "It's not healthy for you to carry this on your shoulders. There's a difference being knowing that you were wrong and regretting it, and harboring guilt. You've apologized, and Edward has accepted your apology. And despite all the odds, the two of you found love again and I've never seen you happier. These moments of doubt are only hurting your relationship, Bella."

I knew she was right, but it was hard for me to separate what I had done in the past with what we had now. Especially because Edward and I were not the same couple as we were when we had been teenagers. The old us didn't exist anymore, and not moving on from the past wouldn't help us in the future.

… …

"I love you," I said, wrapping my arms around Edward squeezing gently.

We stayed like that for a moment, my front to his back, until Edward turned around and wrapped his arms around me, too. "I love you, too. So much."

"And me," Violet said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

She'd always had a knack for that, but right now, it was perfect timing.

"We love you most," Edward assured her, scooping her up and tickling her belly as she shrieked and giggled.

"Will you still live with us when Grandma Rae and Grandpa Charlie come?" Violet asked once Edward stopped tickling her.

Her face was red from being upside down and from laughing, but the smile on her face was breathtaking.

"I don't live with you guys, Vi," Edward reminded her. "I still live in my own place."

"Nuh uh," Violet disagreed. "You've been living here."

I hadn't realized it until now…but Violet was right. Edward hadn't gone home in at least a week.

He and I exchanged a glance, unsure of what that meant. We had intended to take things slow, but that had obviously gone out the window. It hadn't been on purpose and neither of us had even noticed until Violet brought it up now.

"Just because you make _such_ good breakfast," Edward said to break the silence, kissing Violet's cheek. "And you always share your crayons."

Violet puffed up with pride, and the subject was dropped.

Until Edward brought it back up later, when Violet was in bed and we were lounging on the couch.

"So…I should probably go home tonight, huh?" He asked, stroking my arm.

I shrugged, leaning into his touch. As much as I didn't want him to go, I knew that we still had to have some boundaries between us. We hadn't been back together for very long, and despite failing in the past, I knew we were still attempting to take things a little slower.

"I guess so," I finally said. "Not that I don't love having you here…"

"Yeah?" Edward teased.

"Yeah," I said after pinching his cheek. "You're pretty sexy."

"Oh, you just like having me here for _sexxxx_."

"You caught me."

I kissed him deeply, but pulled away after a moment. "I like the sex," I admitted. "Because it's really, really good. But I like going to bed with you and waking up together in the morning, I like when you and Violet make breakfast together. I like when you come here when you get off work at night, instead of going to your place. And Violet likes it, too. We _do_ love you being here. I just…"

"Think it might be a little too much, too fast," he finished for me.

"Exactly."

He nodded. "It's something to think about…for the future."

"Definitely. Living with two girls- you might want some more time to prepare."

"I think I can handle it," Edward laughed. "I lived with my mom and Rosalie, remember? And Rosalie is so high-maintenance she counted as like, ten girls. And my mom isn't exactly easy going, either."

"True," I agreed. "And with Violet here to cook you breakfast…you're getting special treatment."

"Very special treatment."

We fell silent, soaking up some more time together before Edward eventually got up to head back home.

Of course, we still spent ten minutes kissing the doorway after that, but then he was gone.

I shut the door after him, surprised at how different my apartment actually felt now. I hadn't even noticed it before, but now that Edward was gone, the difference was glaring.

I still wanted to move at a slower place, but I was suddenly looking forward to the future even more.

… …

A knock on the door surprised me, and I turned to Edward. "Did you order food or something? My parents aren't supposed to get in for another couple of hours."

"No," he said, frowning from where he was painting Violet's finger nails. "Maybe it's Jasper."

"Uncle Jasper has to work today," Violet corrected him. "And you got polish on mom's magazine," she added in a whisper, referencing the magazine Edward had placed under her hand while he painted. He was completely awful at painting nails, but Violet insisted and he never turned her down.

I went and opened the door anyway, completely shocked when I did.

Esme Cullen stood in front of me, bundled up in winter layers but without any luggage other than a backpack that looked suspiciously like the one Edward had used in high school.

"Esme?!" I asked incredulously. "What…what are you doing here?"

"Violet, go to your room," Edward said suddenly. "Just for a minute, baby," he added when she protested.

She must have obeyed, because I heard her bedroom door close.

"I thought I told you I couldn't have you here," Edward said, coming over to the door. "Mom, you guys are not welcome here-"

"Your father isn't with me," Esme said, cutting him off. "It's just me. I…I left him."

… …

 **Thanks for reading! Next chapter, we'll be hearing from Edward again. Lots of you have been rooting for Esme to come to Chicago sans Carlisle…so here ya go!**

 **I'm still working a lot, but luckily it's way less crazy than before. I also just repainted and now all my stuff has to be put back and reorganized…I've definitely been putting it off.**

 **I'm hoping to get the next chapter out on Saturday or Sunday. If something changes I** _ **usually**_ **post something on Facebook along with a chapter teaser. My profile is Cynosure Fanfic if you're interested in adding me to see uppdates!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the little delay! I had an absolutely crazy couple of days at work and that coupled with some sticky parts of this chapter really had me stumped for a while.**

 **Not sure when I'll get to update again but it should be within a week- if it turns out to be different, I'll share it on my facebook profile- which is Cynosure Fanfic. Add me if you'd like to tune in!**

 **Enjoy the chapter- don't forget to let me know what you think!**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

Not wanting to kick Violet and Bella out of their own home, I suggested to my mom that we take a cab back to my place where we could talk in private. She agreed, and that's how we found ourselves sitting in silence in a musty smelling taxi cab, both of us staring out the windows at the snow covered city outside.

By the time we reached my block, the silence was unbearable and I spoke as I helped my mother out of the car. "Are you okay, Mom?"

She smiled weakly, but have my hand a strong squeeze. "I am, Edward. I just…it's just that a lot has happened very quickly, and I'm not sure how to process all of it."

"I can imagine."

I ushered her into my apartment, and she looked impressed. I had to admit that it made me pleased, but at the same time I imagined the reaction my father would have- probably thinking it wasn't good enough. But I had bought this place with my own money, and I was proud of it.

"Did Violet do these?" She asked, touching the artwork on the wall. "They're very cute."

"She did," I confirmed. "She painted her room, too. With my help, of course."

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before I gestured to the living area. "Why don't we sit down? Here, let me take your hat and coat…and you can just leave the bag there for now."

"I don't even know where to begin," she said after we sat down in chairs across from each other. "It seems like a big blur."

"Tell me why you left," I prodded.

"I was…I was just so upset about not seeing you and Violet for Christmas," my mom began. "I love Rosalie and Emmett to death but Christmas just wasn't the same this year, without you and without her. It was your first Christmas with your daughter and it was our first Christmas knowing we were grandparents…I hated that we couldn't be there."

"I'm sorry," I said honestly. "But you know why I couldn't…"

"Yes, I know," she replied softly. "And part of me understands. But even though I can understand it on some level, it hurts. And knowing that you had good reason to keep us away hurt even more. But your father just didn't understand why I was so upset. He told me we'd send Violet presents and see her after you straightened yourself out, and for him, that was that. But it wasn't for me, and I became very upset. Your dad came home last night and was furious that I had stayed in bed all day instead of doing the housework and getting dinner on the table…don't get me wrong, Edward. I enjoy being domestic. Taking care of you kids and your father was the job I wanted in life, and I never regretted it. But _I_ was furious, too. Furious at him for not understanding and even more furious that he had caused this whole mess in the first place.

I love you, Edward. I love you and I am so proud of you. I'm sorry for not standing up for you…when you were younger, I chalked it up to your father just expecting a lot and wanting the very best for you. And then you became a man, and I thought you could fight your own battles so I continued to stay out of it. But now you are happy and successful and grown and I just can't see what else your father wants from you."

"Thank you, mom," I whispered, feeling like part of the burden on my heart had finally been lifted. "I really needed to hear that."

"He just didn't understand," she continued. "Something in me just snapped and we fought like we haven't ever fought before. And I just couldn't stay anymore. I had to come here, I had to tell you that I'm sorry and that you don't deserve the way your father has been acting towards you. And I came here because I won't let his stubbornness keep me away from my son and granddaughter anymore."

"I understand. It was hard for me, mom. To tell you that you couldn't be in our lives until this got straightened out. But I'm glad you see why, and that you finally took a stand. Violet has asked about you, and I know she'll be happy to spend some time with you. You're more than welcome to stay here with me until things get straightened out."

She nodded, and wiped at the tears that had started to run down her cheeks. I felt my own running over, and reached for the box of tissues sitting on the coffee table. "I don't know what to do," she admitted after a moment. "I had to leave, and I stand by my decision. But what in the world am I supposed to do now?"

My heart broke for her, looking so lost and confused. It had been a long time since she had ever known any other life, and I could image how daunting that was for her now.

But she had made her choice, and know she had me to help her figure it out.

"For now, let's just get you settled and give you some time to think," I suggested. "There's no rush. Does…does Dad know you're here?"

"If he doesn't, I'm sure he'll figure it out soon. There's not many places I could have gone."

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Well…we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. What about Rosalie? Did you tell her, or talk to her at all?"

She just shook her head no.

"Don't worry about that for now. I'll show you to the bathroom so you can take a hot bath or shower," I offered. "And then you can sleep in Violet's room. Her bed is made up with fresh sheets, and I can get you some clothes to wear if you'd like to lie down for a while."

My mom agreed, and after she showered and shut the door to Violet's room, I reached for my phone.

I saw that I had a text message from Rosalie waiting, but I ignored it for the time being so that I could call Bella first and hopefully calm down a little.

"What happened, Edward?" she said in greeting.

"She finally had enough," I replied, raking my free hand through my hair. "And she didn't know where else to go."

"Wow."

"Yeah. She's a little dazed right now, I think. She doesn't know what she's going to do. I told her to take a hot shower and she's trying to get some sleep in Violet's room right now. I guess they fought most of the night, she drove from Forks to Seattle early in the morning, and then hopped on a flight."

"It's been building for a long time, but all of this action happened so fast," Bella mused. "I'm sure it's hard for her."

We talked for several more minutes, and her encouragement, support, and advice made me calm down a little more. My mother, despite her failings in recent years, had taken care of me and loved me. She might not have been there for me when it came to problems with my father, but part of me could understand why. Especially after I moved out, he was pretty much all she had. They lived in a small town without family nearby, and she didn't work. She may have liked being domestic, but I didn't think it was very healthy for her world to revolve around him, especially when he was so stubborn and pessimistic. Going against him was too much for her.

Now the problems and the stress had built and built and finally exploded, especially since she had no real outlet for it.

And here we were.

… …

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **I know this was a shorter chapter but this was something I wanted to stand alone. More to come- hope to see you all again for the next chapter soon!**


	22. Chapter 22

**This comes a little later than I had hoped, but it's here nonetheless! I'm hoping to update** _ **Me and You**_ **tomorrow as well, if things go as planned.**

 **Tomorrow is Opening Day (well, night) so come game time, my attention will definitely be on that. However, I work from eight until four so hopefully I can get chapter five finished up then and ready to go after or maybe even before the game.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"You have to understand that this was a long time coming, Rosalie," I told my sister over the phone. "These past few months have been especially hard, and it became too much."

"I know," she murmured. "I know, Edward. I just never expected her to leave."

"Wouldn't you do the same? If Emmett acted the way dad did?"

She was silent for a moment, so I continued. "He's only happy when people do what he has planned for them. Consider yourself lucky that Dad supported you and wanted you to be 'Dr. Cullen-McCarty'. What if he had wanted you to be like Mom, a happy housewife? I know that Mom liked her role at home but I also know you wouldn't have. What if Dad had wanted that for you while you had other plans? He'd treat you just like he's treated me. And now Mom."

"I _know,_ " she repeated, and I could hear the tears in her voice now. "I'm sorry, Edward. It's hard for me to see Dad like that, even though I know you're right."

"He has to change," I said softly. "She's not coming back unless he does, and he'll never see me or his granddaughter again if he doesn't."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Talk to him," I replied simply. "You're the only one left in his good graces. Make him see the severity of this situation. He stands to lose everyone if he doesn't fix this."

"Everyone?"

"I hate to say that you have to choose sides, Rosalie, but…"

"No. I mean, I know. This has to stop," she answered. "I'm upset by this too, Edward. I'm just struggling to wrap my mind around it."

I did pity her. It wasn't my fault that my father was like this, or my mother's fault. It also wasn't Rosalie's fault. I hated to put her in the middle like this, but as things stood, she was the only one who might be able to reach out and pound the truth into our father's thick head.

… …

"I thought maybe your mom would like to come with us," Bella suggested quietly. "I grabbed some extra clothes for her, just in case."

She and Violet had come by my apartment, picking me up on our way to go ice skating at Millennium Park. Violet had been begging to go, and we would be meeting Bella's parents, brother, and Alice there. My mom was in the other room, helping Violet bundle up into her winter clothing. With all the madness that had happened in the last day, I was struggling to really grasp that my mom was _here_ , and she would very much like to be included in my life and in Violet's.

"I didn't even think about it," I said honestly, helping Bella wrap a fuzzy scarf around her neck. "I'm sure she'd love to."

After Bella had bundled up as well, we rejoined my mom and Violet in the living room. "Vi, are you ready to go?" I asked, holding back a laugh.

I could barely make out Violet's shape underneath all of the layers that covered her. She looked like a purple marshmallow in her monochromatic coat, scarf, gloves, and hat. "Yes!" she screeched, flapping her arms.

"Mom, are you ready?" I asked, looking her up and down. She obviously wasn't; still dressed in one of my flannel shirts and sweatpants. "Come on, come to the park with us. It'll be fun."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"We're sure," Bella spoke up. "Come with us, Esme. I brought you more winter stuff, in case what you have isn't warm enough."

"Nana, come with us!" Violet added. "You can hold this hand," she held up her left hand, "while Dad holds this one." And she held up her right hand towards me. I grabbed it and squeezed, making her giggle again.

My mom didn't need any more convincing, and fifteen minutes later, the four of us headed out.

Our afternoon was spent laughing and skating in the cold until we were all pink in the cheeks. Bella and I took a break and shared a cup of spiked hot chocolate on the sidelines, watching everyone else. Alice and Jasper held onto each other, Alice slipping and sliding around uncoordinatedly as he held her up, while Charlie and Renee held hands and both glided across the ice with ease.

Violet and my mom were the most entertaining, laughing more than anyone as they circled the rink. Violet could skate well her for age, but looked absolutely thrilled as my mom helped her twirl around the ice like a pro.

Despite everything we had been through, and everything that was still wrong, things were better than I would have ever thought. Not long ago, none of this even seemed possible.

… …

"Come stay with us," Bella murmured, tucking her body against mine. "Let your mom stay at your place."

I sighed, hugging her close. "I wish I could. But I don't want to leave her there alone. Not now."

She tilted her head up, studying my face. "Are you afraid your dad will come?"

"Rosalie hasn't told me anything," I said grudgingly. "I don't even know if she ever talked to him. I have no idea what he's thinking, or what he'll do."

"I know you want to protect her, and you should, but there's only so much you can do," Bella reminded me gently. "It's their life. If he comes, and she wants to talk to him…then she should."

"I don't want him to manipulate her."

"Then you can't manipulate her, either," she said kindly. "Let her do what she decides is best, and support her as she makes her decision."

I was quiet, thinking about what she said. It wasn't my decision to make, but somehow it felt that way. This tension had been growing in our family for a long time, festering and growing worse by the day. I thought about how nothing had gone according to plan, but how I was also happier now than I had ever thought possible. No, this hadn't been the plan. But everything had happened regardless, and now I counted myself lucky because I had everything I wanted.

I had Bella, Violet, and a life I was proud of. No, it hadn't been the plan. It was better.

… …

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" I asked, my voice angry.

It had been three days, and I'd heard nothing from my sister. At first, I had been concerned. Now I was nervous and upset.

"Edward…"

"Rosalie," I replied, mimicking her tone. "I'm not playing around."

"Dad is a mess," she said, ignoring me. "He wouldn't talk to me."

"He should be a fucking mess!" I hissed. "This is _his_ fault!"

I loved my sister, and despite everything, I did love my father. But this was getting to be too much. Sides were being chosen, and it looked like our family would remain divided unless something drastically changed.

"He wouldn't talk to me," she repeated. "I tried. I called, and I went to the house yesterday. The only thing he did was ask me where she went."

"And did you tell him?"

"No. I told him that it didn't matter where she went if he didn't sort himself out."

"He hasn't come looking for her, or contacted me. He doesn't seem to care all that much," I remarked.

I had let Bella leave, once. And I regretted that with every fiber of my being because it had led to so much more pain. I aimed to never let her leave again, or make her feel like she needed to. If I were in my father's shoes, I'd be searching the world for her…starting in the most logical places. But from what my sister said, he was still in Forks. He hadn't even tried looking.

"What has Mom said?" Rosalie asked.

"She doesn't really want to talk about it," I said honestly. "But I know she's still upset. And it's made worse by the fact that she left in the midst of a fight and her husband hasn't come after her. She left, but she still feels abandoned. She's angry with him, Rosalie. That's why she left. Because she's upset and confused, not because she doesn't love him."

"What can I do, Edward?"

She sounded frustrated, just like I felt. And I hated her question, because I didn't have an answer for her.

"Bella told me that I just have to let Mom do what she feels is right," I said with a sigh. "I guess you have to do the same."

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

My home was full, and so was my heart.

All of us were gathered in the living room, having just watched the ball drop. It was a New Year now, and I was planning to make the most of it. I'd made so many mistakes in the past, and although wrong moves were an inevitable part of life, I never wanted to make such horrible, hurtful mistakes again. I didn't want to hurt the ones I loved, and I wanted to prove to them that I was no longer the person that had made such bad choices.

Having Edward to kiss at midnight and being surrounded by family made the year off to a promising start.

Violet had insisted that she would be staying up until midnight, but had dozed on and off throughout the night and had only made it a little past eleven o'clock before passing out for good. She had gotten to see the east coast broadcast of the ball dropping, though, so that was better than nothing.

Alice and Jasper were the first to leave, heading back to their own place. My parents were next, retiring to the spare room. Now Esme, Edward, and I remained, talking quietly.

"Esme, please stay here tonight," I said, stopping her before she could protest. "There's a pullout bed in my office that's already made up. Violet will love having you and my parents here when she wakes up. I promised her a big breakfast."

"Are you sure?" Esme asked again.

Edward silenced her protests again, telling her that she was always welcome. And then it was just the two of us, sitting close on the couch.

"Let's go to bed," I murmured, letting my hands slide under his tee shirt and over his toned belly. He tensed at my touch, still a little ticklish like he had been when we were younger, but smiled.

"Let's," he agreed.

We were quiet as we could be as we moved together underneath my soft sheets and down comforter. We were so comfortable with each other and so well versed in each other's bodies that sometimes, words weren't even needed. Just soft touches and even softer sounds.

… …

 **Thanks, as always, for reading! I'd like to update again in the middle of the week, but realistically, that might not be possible. I'll try my best though, and I'll post on Facebook when I know for sure.**


	23. Chapter 23

**I ended up having to train a new employee at work today so zero time to work on this chapter- hence it being up later tonight. Thanks for your patience! I managed to get in a few chapters of** _ **Me and You**_ **, too, if you're interested in checking that one out! However I will be doing this chapter and another chapter of this story before the next chapter…if that makes sense.**

 **So it's crazy we've come this far, but after this one, there are only four chapters left! I say this like every time but holy shit how did we get this far already!? I go on vacation for nine days at the end of the month but I'm still planning on having this complete by the end of the month or the beginning of May at the latest…we'll see how that one goes.**

… …

 _ **Bella Swan**_

"So…I don't know if you remember, because I guess it has been a long time since I mentioned it to you…but I still have to go out of town in a few weeks," I reminded Edward. "Alice and I leave for Los Angeles on the twelfth."

He frowned, obviously having not remembered. "Oh yeah…"

"It's the International Makeup Artists Trade Show," I said. "We have a booth for the weekend, and it's important for me to be there. Last year we completely sold out."

"I remember now," he said, nodding. "You have the spring preview available, right?"

"Right," I confirmed, pleased that he did pay attention. "So it's kind of a big deal."

"I remember you saying Vi would need to stay with me, I just didn't realize it was coming up so soon. December went by in a flash and it's only the first week of January and it seems to already be going the same way," Edward said with a sigh.

"I know," I agreed. "I wish you guys could come with me to LA."

"That would have been great…but we'll be okay without you for a weekend. Maybe," he joked.

I pinched his side, not finding the situation as humorous. "Leaving Violet while I went last year was the worst, and now I have to leave both of you. It was so fun last year and it's great for the brand, but it's not the same as being here with you guys. I hate leaving you for work."

"You work hard," Edward said gently. "And even though you _always_ work hard, most of the time you're able to work your schedule around Violet and even me. I think you're allowed a weekend trip- don't feel bad. My schedule is crazy sometimes and neither of you have given me a hard time about it."

"Violet doesn't care about that stuff, and neither do I. You love your job and you're passionate about it," I reminded him. "Work is a necessary part of life, and you're providing for yourself and Violet. She doesn't get it now, but she'll grow to appreciate how hard you work for her, even if it means you'll have to miss some things down the road."

He kissed me gently, then pressed his forehead against mine. "Thank you."

Edward always put forth a strong front, but from his reactions and some of the conversations we'd had, I knew how much this stuff with his family was still bothering him. Being told constantly that you're not good enough, especially by your own father, would be enough to deeply bother most people. But that had turned into another huge controversy that divided their family- Rosalie was trying and failing to remain neutral, and Esme was trying to put up a strong front as well but was obviously struggling.

It had been over a week now, and Esme was still here, but no sign of Carlisle. Rosalie hadn't been able to talk to him, and no one else had heard anything. We weren't sure of what was really going on, but the lack of action wasn't good and the outcome was starting to look more and more bleak every day.

All we could do was try and go on with life. Edward had been staying at his place, not wanting his mom to be alone, but Esme had taken to picking Violet up from school and then staying around to have dinner with all of us. It wasn't a permanent situation and all of us wanted a solution but for now…it would just have to work.

… …

When I was younger, everyone always joked that I could have slept through a train running through the house. After becoming a parent, all of that had gone to shit. Especially as a young single mother, I had been incredibly paranoid at night and found myself having a lot of trouble sleeping.

I had learned to sleep when Violet slept, but even then I felt like I was always half awake listening to make sure nothing went wrong. As Violet grew, she slept less and demanded more attention. It seemed like she had just started sleeping more when cartoons and toys drew her out of bed early again, and I had given up on my old sleeping habits all together.

Tonight was no different, and I was awake after the first feeling of my phone vibrating on the other side of my bed. I fumbled around, feeling a pang of sadness as I reached across my wide bed and feeling nothing but empty mattress before bringing my phone to me- I had someone already gotten used to Edward being in my bed, and this last week without him had been awful.

"Hello?" I answered my phone, my eyes barely open.

"My dad is here."

… …

The worst part about Edward calling me at four in the morning to tell me that his father had arrived in Chicago was not being woken up early- the worst part was literally not being able to do anything for another three and a half hours.

I was rushing to get Violet through her morning routine, and of course she noticed something was different. "Where's Dad? Where's Nana? Why are we going so fast?"

But she was silenced with vague explanations and one sugary breakfast bar, and waved goodbye to me after I dropped her off at school.

I continued to rush, getting to Edward's apartment building in record time and finding him sitting in the lobby, looking exhausted.

"Hey," I murmured, kissing him before sitting down next to him and putting my arm around his waist. "What's going on?"

"He fucking showed up at three thirty…called my mom instead of buzzing in. She came into my room, not sure of what to do. So I come down here and he's waiting outside…looking like complete shit. Seriously, Bella, I felt like I barely recognized him."

"Wow," I said. "What'd he say to you?"

"He said we had a lot to talk about, but begged me to see Mom first. And I'll be honest- I didn't want to let him in. I wanted to call the cops."

I understood his feelings, but obviously he hadn't done that. "What made you change your mind?"

"It's not my life," he said with a heavy sigh. "I asked her if she wanted to talk to him, and she said yes. I stayed around for a while, but my mom asked me if I could give them some privacy. I've been down here for," he glanced at his phone, "almost three hours now."

"Are they, um, fighting, or…"

"Ugh, Bella, please," Edward groaned. "I don't know."

I held my hands up, happy that he was at least laughing now. "It was an honest question."

"I know, I know. I just don't want to think about it- I want things resolved."

"Let me take you for breakfast," I offered. "Get your mind off things for at least a little while."

"Best offer I've had all day."

… …

Esme called Edward about fifteen minutes into our breakfast, apologizing profusely.

I knew that Edward wanted his mom to get the apology she needed and deserved, and for her to find a resolution. But he also needed that same thing from his father.

"Why am I nervous?" He asked, staring down into his cup of coffee.

"It's been years since this problem started," I said gently. "And maybe you're finally getting the apology you deserve and an honest conversation about the problems between the two of you. That would make me nervous, too."

It seemed like just yesterday that Edward and I'd had to have a similar type of conversation- apologies and resolving mistakes made in the past. Then, I hadn't believed that we'd be able to fix things, let alone let ourselves love each other again. But of course that had gone better than I ever could have hoped, and here we were now, in love and continuing to build a happy, healthy relationship.

Edward continued to be quiet as we finished our meal, and by the time we were back at his door, his hand was shaking in mine.

"Hey," I murmured, reaching up and cupping his face with my free hand. "I love you, Edward. You are such a good man- the best man. I'm so proud of you, and Violet knows that you are the best dad _ever_. I want you to have your family, and for you to get want you need and deserve from your father and even your mom and sister…but just know that Violet and I are your family, too, and you never have to prove anything to us. You are everything we need, want, and could ever hope for."

He smiled slightly, closing his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "I needed to hear that."

"I will tell you that any time, because every single word is true," I swore.

Edward nodded, then pecked me on the lips. "I think I'm ready to face this."

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

I let myself into the apartment after reassuring Bella that she should go to work and go on with her day. She hadn't wanted to go, but respected my wishes and let me face this on my own.

"Edward," my dad said, rubbing his hands over his face as I closed the door behind me.

I'd never seen my dad with facial hair or ever looking so rumpled, but there he was, sitting on my couch and looking awful. Part of me was happy to see him looking like that- he deserved it after putting everyone through hell for years and especially these last few weeks. But he was also my father, and seeing him look so weak and torn down was shocking.

"Where's Mom?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"She just went to lie down," he explained. "I'm sorry for coming in the middle of the night. I…I didn't know what else to do. I just had to come."

"Why now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. "It's been over a week."

"I spent too much time coming to my senses," he said slowly. "Too much time spent feeling sorry for myself and then overthinking everything before finally doing something about it…realizing that I was wrong."

I didn't know what I had really been expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. However, I wasn't satisfied, just even more confused.

"You know I've been a doctor for…well, for a very long time now," he began. I already didn't like where this seemed to be going, but I didn't speak and let him continue. "And I've been successful; built a good reputation for myself and I love 'playing God', as many people say."

I couldn't argue with that, so I remained silent.

"I've had a good career and I believe I've saved many, many lives. It's why I became a doctor and it makes me feel very good about myself."

"Yeah…" I finally spoke, really not sure where he could be going with this.

"I could have never become successful, or even made it through a single day, without my nurses."

He paused, looking like he was struggling to find the words. "I treat diseases and problems…my nurses treat _people._ I use my intelligence to diagnose, treat, and heal, while they use theirs to do all of that but also fix my mistakes and oftentimes form a connection with my patients that I can't. Obviously, you know how badly I wanted you to follow in my footsteps. I found so much success, recognition, and happiness in being a doctor.

"You are intelligent, son. Probably more so than I am, because while you're smart, you also have skills with people that I never have. I always had a plan for you, and knowing that you were going to follow in my footsteps instilled a great deal of pride in me. Then your plans changed. You were young, and I thought you were making a huge mistake. I thought that you were settling and doing it intentionally to go against me, as self-absorbed as that is."

"You stopped being a factor in my plans a long time ago, Dad," I said roughly.

"I know that now."

"I'm a good nurse. And I love what I do," I said, not for the first time.

"I know that, too. I also know now that your plans changed but not because you were young and foolish, but because nursing appealed to you in all the ways that medical school didn't."

"It did," I agreed. "I'm a better nurse than I'd ever be a doctor. I firmly believe that."

He nodded, not speaking for a moment.

"What made you finally realize all this?" I asked bluntly. "It's been years of this treatment."

"My eyes have been opened," my dad said quietly. "I realized that I stood to lose everything because of my unwillingness to see your side of things. The same goes for your mother and your sister. Maybe we didn't have the same types of problems, but my actions have affected our relationships. I know that I can't come here and say all of this and expect things to change," he continued. "And I still stand by some of my feelings and opinions. But I can here to ask for the second chance I probably don't deserve."

… …

 **So, was that at all what you were expecting? We haven't heard the last of all of this, but what are your opinions? How much more groveling am I going to make Carlisle do? SPOILER ALERT: A lot. The dude deserves it. BUUUUUTTTTT this story is about making choices- especially** _ **wrong choices**_ **and the consequences and how people come back from them.**

 **This chapter was** _ **flowing**_ **as I was finishing it up but then I KEPT GETTING INTERRUPTED. Sooo frustrating, but here it is! Let me know what you thought?**


	24. Chapter 24

**This took longer than I thought…literally because I had to get fake nails for a wedding and it's soooo hard to type with them on. Never had them before and man am I struggling. They can't pop off until after the wedding either so I have to be extra careful. It is torture.**

 **Hope you're all doing well, and that you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Many of you were happy with the turn of events regarding Carlisle, but agreed that there's still a lot that needs to change. But if you remember how Carlisle reacted to meeting Violet, you'll realize that she's a big part of why he realized he needed to change. Otherwise he'll lose his whole family, including a granddaughter who would never know him if he didn't shape up.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"Are you sure about this, Mom?" I asked, hugging her close.

I was dropping her off at the airport, and as much as I wanted her to be happy, I was nervous. I didn't want my parents to split up but I also didn't want my mom to go through any of the same things she had before. My dad had impressed and surprised everyone when he came to Chicago, and things were on their way to getting better, but actions meant so much more than words. He still had a lot to prove, so nothing was really "fixed" until he _could_ prove that he meant what he had said.

"I'm sure," she assured me quietly. "I need to do this. I know I have to take things with a grain of salt…but I love your father very much, and I want our marriage to last."

"Just let me know if you need anything. I'm here for you, mom."

"I know, sweetie. Thank you. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I want this to work. There are things that need to change, and I know it may take time, but I'm hopeful."

Just like her, I was also hopeful. I wanted things to be different and there was a lot that I wasn't going to put up with, but I had to be optimistic too. I didn't want my family to be estranged and I _did_ want my daughter to finally get to know the part of her family she hadn't had before.

I left her at the airport to catch her flight back to Washington and as I drove away, I came to terms with the fact that this was out of my hands. I had to hope that my dad would change, and I would be receptive to it, but ultimately this was something my dad would have to do himself.

… …

I had come in for my shift after dropping my mom off at the airport, and now it felt like my day had been going on for twenty four hours instead of twelve. I was more than ready to head home, but when I had seen Eric standing there charting on my way out, I knew I had to linger for another minute.

"Hey, thanks for taking those shifts for me week after next," I said, rapping my knuckles on the desk of the nurses station as I passed.

"No problem," he replied, glancing up at me. He and I were the two of only four male nurses on our unit, and even though I was getting to know all of my coworkers better in the past couple of months, he and I definitely shared a different kind of bond. "Did you say that you're going out of town?"

"Nah, my girlfriend is, just for a weekend work trip," I explained. "I have my daughter."

"I didn't realize you had a girlfriend," Eric noted.

I frowned, wondering how that was possible. "She was here a couple of weeks ago, when she brought Violet by to see where I work. I thought you were here that day."

"Oh, I was. I thought that was your baby mama."

"It was. I mean, she is…that's my girlfriend. She's Violet's mom."

"Ah, I see. Last time we talked about that, you two were still on the outs," Eric explained.

I just shrugged, happy that we weren't like that anymore.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Man, you've got to take me up on my offer to come out with us some night. You're still a mystery."

"I'll go with you guys next time," I promised.

Even though I had Violet and Bella, moving to a new city had been hard. I didn't know anyone else here, as opposed to when I had lived in Forks and known everyone there for basically my entire life. I liked the people I worked with and we had developed good working relationships, but knowing each other outside of work was appealing to me, too.

I wasn't surprised when I checked my phone and saw that Bella had asked me to come over- that was becoming the norm. As much as we both thought it was good to have our own spaces, neither of us were really willing to give up that much time together. And it wasn't just about seeing each other- it was about Violet, too, and spending time as a family.

But it was past ten-thirty by the time I got to their place, and Violet was fast asleep.

"She always begs to stay up and wait for you," Bella murmured, her hand on my arm as we stood in the doorway of Violet's bedroom. "But she never makes it."

"She's already so big," I said wistfully. "How is it possible that she's grown up so much in the short time I've known her? Soon she'll have a later bedtime than I do."

"Don't remind me," she replied with a sigh.

We stood there for a few more moments, soaking up the sight of our five year old sleeping peacefully, capturing it for our memories.

"Are you hungry? There are leftover in the fridge," Bella said as we closed Violet's bedroom door and retired to the couch.

"I'm okay."

"How was your mom?"

I shook my head. "She was fine. I wish I could be there for her right now, but…"

"I think it'll be okay," Bella offered. "I know it's way too soon to tell, but it did seem like things would get better. And she knows that if they don't, she is more than welcome here."

Even though that was true, I still worried, and Bella knew it.

"Why don't you take Violet to Forks the weekend that I'm in LA?" She suggested. "Since you already have off work. You could see your parents and sister…or even just your mom and Rosalie, if you're not ready to see your dad again. You could even stay with my parents if you'd rather."

"Maybe I should," I said, pondering. "It would be nice to go back for a while…show Violet more of where I grew up."

"I think she'd love it. And maybe, if you are okay with seeing your dad, it would be a good way for you to kind of see if there's been any progress. You don't have to have Violet around him, I know you're still hesitant about that. She would be able to stay with my parents for the day, if need be."

It didn't take much more discussion- by the time we went to bed that night, I had booked a flight to Seattle for both Violet and I.

… …

"Even though it's only for a few days, I really will miss you," Bella murmured, kissing me long and hard.

I smiled at her as she pulled away, loving the way she looked at me.

When she looked at me like this, it was like nothing had ever gone wrong between us. I knew that there was a long road ahead of us, and we still had issues to work through, but that look…it just made me so confident about our future together, with each other and as a family unit. I never wanted to be apart from her again, and she told me time and time again that she felt the same.

I had missed out on almost six years, but I couldn't wallow and live in the past. There was no point in being so upset about something that I couldn't change, especially because it would keep me from being happy in the future. Forgiving Bella was probably one of the hardest things I had ever done, but now that we had moved past it, I knew it was also one of the best things.

"We'll miss you, too," I assured her.

"Have a good weekend in Forks. Call me or text me...let me know what's going on. If you need me, I'll be there for you," Bella told me.

"Thank you, but don't worry. I really think it'll be fine. I feel like my mom- just trying to be optimistic. Focus on work- I know this is important for you."

"Good!" She exclaimed. "I'm sure it will be. And thank you, but it's impossible for me not to have you and Violet on my mind."

"And then the weekend will be over in a flash," I promised, "and we'll be back here before you know it."

We kissed again, and all too soon, I was waving goodbye and she was walking into the airport. I watched her go, then finally climbed back into my car. Violet was still asleep in her booster seat when I peeked over my shoulder, and since it was so early, I was sure she'd stay asleep even after we got back to my place.

Our flight didn't leave until this afternoon, and although I was trying to be optimistic, I was also nervous. It had only been a matter of months, but Forks wasn't home anymore and I wasn't sure what that would feel like. Seeing my family, especially my dad, was another added stress. The unpredictiability of the whole situation just made things worse.

Best case scenario was that my dad really was trying to change for the better, and if that were true, then Violet could spend the whole day Saturday with my family. If not…I couldn't have her around my dad. I knew I was doing it to protect her, but I hated having to keep her from my family. It felt like I was hiding her. That was the last was the last thing I wanted to do- make her feel like she didn't belong in her own family.

Now that I had Violet, I didn't ever want to do anything that would make her feel unwanted or unloved. Missing out on five years of her life was bad enough, and I had meant it when I said that I would spend the rest of my life showing her how much she meant to me.

… …

 **As always I am so blown away by the response/reception to this story. I appreciate you guys SO much. I know I have reviews and some PM's to reply to but I'm so behind. If you ask a question I try my best to reply ASAP but life gets in the way…I am trying to be better though.**

 **To get this chapter done I literally (CAREFULLY) pried the fake nails off of my pointer fingers so I could at least "peck" out this chapter a little faster. Now that I'm done, I've got to hunt down the nail glue and reapply them.**

 **See you next time for a chapter of** _ **Me and You.**_ **I am headed to Florida for almost ten days on Tuesday, but I will have my laptop with me. Going to Disney World one day and then a Tampa Bay Rays game on another, but otherwise I should have time to write. Hoping to post the next chapter of this Thursday or Friday though!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I am heading to Florida today to spend the next ten days there, but I have my laptop with me and do plan to update while I'm there. Hoping that I finish this chapter after getting into Florida tonight and posting late tonight or tomorrow.**

 **Thanks for your patience and for continuing to read and review. I appreciate you all so much.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

We were barely an hour into the flight when Violet's whisper drew my attention away from the magazine I was reading.

"Dad."

She had her elbows on the seat rest between us, with her hands bent under her chin. She had been swinging her legs back and forth ever since we boarded, but luckily her little feet hadn't made contact with the seat in front of her. Yet.

"Yeah?" I whispered back, leaning down towards her.

"Are you eating those?"

She pointed her finger at the half eaten pack of peanuts I had been snacking on, and I swear she practically licked her lips. She had wolfed down her own snack and apple juice as soon as the flight attendants had come around with them, but wasn't interested in the multitude of snacks I had stashed in her backpack.

"Yeah, Vi."

"Oh."

She flopped back into her seat, but I knew better than to turn my attention back to my magazine.

"I thought you were done."

I sighed, holding the small pouch out to her. She took them eagerly, jamming several into her mouth before the bag was even out of my hand.

Bella had been anxious about me taking Violet on a four and a half hour plane ride- not for Violet but for me.

"She's a good kid," I'd said, watching Bella pack and repack Violet's backpack.

She'd explained to me the downsides, and although I did think she was overreacting just a bit, I was a little nervous. We had almost four hours to go and Violet was restless, even with all the stuff Bella had packed for her.

"Are you tired, Vi?" I asked, wishing that she were.

"No!"

"Do you want your coloring book?"

"No."

"What do you want to do?" I asked, trying not to get exasperated.

She pondered for a moment. "I want to talk to mom."

"We can't, not while we're on the airplane," I reminded her. "We're going to call your mom as soon as we land in Seattle."

"Why not?"

"Phones don't work on airplanes."

"Why not?"

I sighed, giving up on my magazine for good and putting it down on the tray table in front of me. "It's just the way they work," I said evasively, not wanting to get into the logistics with a five year old. "Do you want me to read your book to you?"

"No."

"Then you're just going to have to sit quietly," I said firmly.

She did, for all of two minutes.

"Maybe it works now."

"It doesn't, Violet."

"Let's try."

"We can't."

Violet was finally distracted when I paid for her to have another juice, and by some miracle, fell asleep over her coloring book another hour into the flight.

"Is it her first time flying?" The flight attendant asked, gesturing at Violet as he collected the mountain of trash she had amassed.

"Ah, no," I said, almost apologetically. "I've just never flown with her. Her mom tried to warn me, but…"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Don't worry, she's fine. No screaming, no kicking, no crying. I'd count that as a success."

I had to wake her up an hour later, though, because we'd be arriving in Seattle after seven o'clock our time and I wanted her to sleep through the night. Luckily, she was much more complacent when she woke from her short nap. She asked to call Bella again, but when I repeated that we couldn't until we landed, she was content to play a game on my phone for the rest of the flight.

"Now we call Mom," she said immediately after we put our feet on solid ground again, holding my phone out to me.

Normally I'd want to get to the baggage claim first, but the look on her face told me that our bags could wait.

I dialed Bella, then dutifully handed the phone back to Violet.

"Hi, Mom," she said instantly, a megawatt smile lighting her face. "We flew on the airplane and Dad didn't finish his snacks."

I rolled my eyes at that, but she didn't notice.

"Vi!" I could hear Bella over the phone, and the way she sounded so happy to hear Violet's voice after a few hours apart made me grin. "It's so good to hear from you, baby. Did you have a good flight?"

"Ya. Dad gave me gum," she said, smacking noisily.

"I see. Have you been behaving?"

"Mmm…ya," she said instantly. "I'm good."

"Good, baby. Keep it that way. Call me tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

I held my hand out for the phone, knowing that Violet had a habit of hanging up when _she_ was done with the conversation.

"Love you, baby," I heard Bella say.

"Love you." Violet handed the phone back to me without fanfare, and I brought it to my ear.

"Hi, Bella," I said, bringing my free hand down to grab Violet's hand in case she tried to wander.

"Hi," she said. "Was she really okay on the flight?"

"She was fine," I assured her. "No screaming kicking or crying," I repeated what the flight attendant had said earlier.

"Oh, good. I know I was probably worried over nothing, but…"

"I understand," I said. "How was your flight? How's LA?"

"All good. Alice and I went out for dinner with a few people but we're back in our room now. I'm exhausted."

I knew this was a work trip and that Bella was extremely professional, but I hoped she could have a little fun on this trip, too. She deserved it. Alice being there with her helped but this reminded me that we could all use a real vacation sometime in the near future.

"We haven't gotten our bags yet, but after we do we're heading to your parents," I told her. "I'm supposed to have lunch with-" I glanced down at Violet, not wanting her to hear me mention her "nana" or "pop" so that she didn't pick up on it and wonder when she would see them, because I really didn't know. "You know…"

"Oh, yeah," Bella said immediately. "Call me or text me after…let me know how it goes. I'll be thinking about you."

"I will," I promised. "Thank you."

We only spoke for a few more moments before exchanging goodbyes, but I already felt better about tomorrow. Knowing that I have someone on my side has made all the difference, and although lunch tomorrow is still a big deal to me, I know that no matter what, I still have _my_ family and that will never change.

… …

The trip from Seattle to Forks was long, so when Violet fell asleep in the backseat around eight thirty I didn't bother trying to wake her up. The time change was wreaking havoc on us both and a grumpy Violet wasn't good for anyone.

It felt strange to be staying with Renee and Charlie instead of my parents' house, especially without Bella here, but they welcomed us in joyously. I carried Violet up to Bella's old room and tucked her into bed, taking a minute to look around a little before heading back downstairs. The room hadn't changed all that much, and many signs of Bella still remained. Her bulletin board was still lined with pictures and her photo albums still sat on the bookshelf in the corner.

We had spent a lot of time at my house back when we were teenagers, but this room had been a special place for us, too. Seeing our daughter asleep in Bella's old bed was strange, something that until recently I never thought would be possible. It had seemed like the door had closed on our relationship years ago, and I had tried to convince myself that was it.

I wondered how things would have gone if Bella hadn't had Violet. Would we still have gotten back together? I hoped so, because although Violet was the best thing that had ever happened to me, I would have still wanted Bella regardless. It took a lot of work to overcome everything that had gone wrong, and to forgive, but it was worth it.

… …

"Thanks for coming over, Edward," my dad said, stepping aside to let me come through the front door. "We both appreciate it."

"Yeah, of course," I said, hearing the stiffness in my tone. My nerves had mostly abated but not entirely, and I was still waiting to see a real change.

My mom was in the kitchen, and the three of us made small talk for a few minutes as she finished up lunch. Things still seemed to go the same way- my mom serving my dad, but I was pleased but nonetheless surprised to hear him thanking her and complimenting the food. He had never been mean or outright rude before, but this was new.

We finished eating, and my mom excused herself to start cleaning up. I offered to help, but she waved me off so that it was just me and my dad.

"I've been thinking about some of the things I said to you, back in Chicago," my dad began. "I realize that it probably all sounded too good to be true, huh?"

"Kind of," I admitted hesitantly. "It's not that I think you can't change it's just…"

"A lot," he finished for me. "I know. Believe me, it's been hard for me but I don't want to give up. Correcting decades of behavior won't come easily, or happen overnight. I don't expect you to forgive me right away but I do appreciate that you're trying to."

I nodded, but the thought that had been on my mind for the past two weeks was still there, and I didn't feel like I could hold it back any longer. "I do appreciate that you're trying, and I see that you're making an effort. But Dad…I don't think you ever apologized to me."

"I…" He started to speak, then hesitated.

"You said a lot of things, many of which I appreciated. You admitted that you were wrong, and you expressed that you wanted to change. But no apology," I said, my tone clipped. Bella had agreed with me that it was a big deal when I had brought this up to her, but for some reason I'd worried that my dad would see this as a technicality and blow it off.

But he didn't.

"Edward," he said quietly. "God, Edward…I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for not apologizing properly before but more than anything I'm sorry that my behavior these past few years has caused such a rift. I'm sorry I made you feel like you weren't enough. I'm still learning, still realizing all the ways I messed up. I'm so sorry…all I can do is ask your forgiveness now and promise that I will continue to try and be better. I love you, son."

Up until now, Charlie Swan had been the only one to say that phrase to me, and hearing it from my own father meant more to me than I could describe. My dad had told me he loved me before, obviously, but hearing him say it like that and obviously be proud to call me his son was everything I needed to hear.

… …

 **I posted this in** _ **Me and You**_ **earlier but figured I should post it here, too- I try and refrain from posting too much personal stuff but I did get engaged this past weekend (those fake nails I was complaining about last chapter had something to do with that thanks to some confusion by my fiancé). Anyway, it was wonderful and romantic and I posted the ring on facebook and a brief little synopsis at the end of chapter seven of my other story. To answer some questions I've already gotten, we are planning for a long engagement (my mom almost lost her shit when Zach said five years butttt that's probably pretty accurate) and I'm twenty two while he is twenty four. We've been dating for two years in August even though I totally didn't take him seriously at first and he proved me wrong x10. He has already said he would be cool with getting married tomorrow but I want to have more school under my belt first. We'll see who wins that one.**


	26. Chapter 26

**I'm on the last day of my vacation while writing this A/N and while I wish it weren't over, I am looking forward to getting back into a usual routine. I made it through with only a slight sunburn, so I'm chalking it up to a win. We spent a lot of time being lazy, but that's the best part of vacation!**

 **There is only one chapter left after this one! Then the focus is on** _ **Me and You**_ **, which actually is already eight chapters in. I can't wait to get further on that one!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter and as always, please let me know what you think.**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen**_

"Hey, so…change of plans," Bella said as soon as I picked up the phone.

"What's up? Is everything okay?" I asked.

It was late Saturday night, and Violet and I had already talked to Bella on the phone after my lunch with my parents, so I was surprised to hear from her again especially since it was almost midnight.

"Everything is fine. Great, even. But I decided to leave IMATS early."

"What? What about having to be there? You were so excited for this."

"I still am," Bella assured me. "I'm going to leave tomorrow around lunchtime, so I'll only miss the end. Today was great- we had so many customers and people seemed genuinely interested in checking out the booth and meeting _me_. It was kind of surreal, even more so than it was last year. But we're almost sold out, and we don't do restocks for this kind of thing because we put out everything we come with. And Alice has been great as usual, so I know that she'll be able to handle anything just as well as I could or maybe even better. But I'm going to catch a flight out of LAX and then we can spend the rest of tomorrow and part of Monday in Forks, with our families. I think that's important, too."

"It is," I agreed. "But are you sure?"

"Edward, I'm sure. I don't know when we would be able to go up there again, and I think it's important that Violet spend some more time with her grandparents."

"You don't have to convince me, I just wanted to make sure. You know I'll be happy to see you."

"Yeah?"

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me. "Yeah, I guess," I teased.

… …

"We're going to get Mom," Violet informed her grandparents, talking through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Hey, Vi, don't talk with your mouth full," I reminded her.

Charlie and Renee laughed, always the easygoing grandparents. They were through raising kids, and I could see how much they enjoyed having their granddaughter in the house now.

"Finish your breakfast, Blossom, and you can watch some television with Grandpa before you leave to pick your mom up," Renee suggested, and Violet polished off the rest of her breakfast in about five seconds before grabbing Charlie's hand and leading him into the living room. They both plopped down in front of the television, and I shook my head in amusement.

"Two peas in a pod," Renee said with a laugh. "Do you want any more to eat, Edward?"

"No, Renee, I'm full. But it was delicious, thank you," I said, standing to help her with the dishes. "Your cooking never gets old."

"I'm glad you still like it," she laughed. "With you and Jasper in the house, it was like I could never make enough. I'd turn around and the whole meal would be gone just like that."

"Hey, we were growing boys."

I smiled as I remembered fond moments spent in this house with the Swans. Back then, almost everyone had called Bella "Izzy", and we were already a part of each other's families. I had been the one to start calling her Bella, and now that name had really stuck and we were _still_ a family. Even more so now. No more lies, no more hiding.

"I'm so glad you're here, Edward," Renee said, putting her hand on my arm. "We missed you."

My heart clenched, and I smiled down at her. She had been like another mother to me when I was younger, and I knew that she would be my mother in law in the future. We had come full circle.

"I missed you guys, too."

"I still feel like we owe you an apology," she continued. "We were miles apart from you, Charlie and I, and we never reached out to you to tell you what you deserved to know. We loved you, Edward, and we still do. Just know that we are truly sorry."

"Thank you, Renee. Really. I was hurt and very angry at first, at all of you. I didn't understand how Bella could do that, or how you could let her. But the chief told me that it was because the two of you couldn't risk losing them, too. And now I understand that. All we can do now is look forward, because there's nothing we can do about the past. I don't want to linger on that. I want to focus on building a future with Violet, and with Bella."

"Of course. You're a good man, Edward. We were always proud to call you a part of your family, and that's still true. We love you."

"I love you guys, too. You're like another set of parents to me, and even though my dad and I seem like we're going to be able to patch things up, I will always be grateful to you and to Charlie for being there for me."

We embraced, and I wasn't surprised when Charlie came into the room and hugged me as well. Violet was still parked in front of the television, not paying any attention, so I figured now was as good a time as any to ask them for their blessing.

I wasn't ready to propose to Bella right this minute, because even though we had dated for a long time before, this stage of our relationship was very new. We had a lot of work to do before we could move forward. But in the next year or so, I hoped we would be. I was asking Renee and Charlie for their blessing now because I wanted them to realize how serious I was, and that I really didn't hold the past against any of them. I couldn't- my heart literally wouldn't let me.

… …

Violet and Bella's reunion at the small airport in Port Angeles was touching even though they had only been apart for two days. It really made me realize how strong the bond between them was, and that I had done the right thing by recognizing them as bridges to each other. My long lasting love for Bella was only outmatched by my unfailing love for our daughter. Being on good terms with Bella had let me get close to my daughter so fast, and Violet had been our way back to love.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked, frowning as she looked out the window.

Forks was small, so of course she noticed immediately when I didn't turn off of Main Street towards where her parents lived and continued straight instead. Almost overwhelming greenery took over as we continued through Forks and out further.

"Ah," she said quietly as it dawned on her. "It's been forever since we've been out here, hasn't it?"

"It has," I agreed. "I…I actually haven't been out here since."

She paused, her eyes searching my face like she was trying to see if I was serious. But I was, and she realized it quickly.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Bella murmured.

"The past is the past."

"Are we going camping?" Violet asked loudly, making me laugh.

"You wanna go camping, Vi?"

"NO!"

Bella laughed too, reaching back and tugging on one of Violet's feet. "Don't worry, Violet, your dad isn't much of a camper either."

"Oh yeah, and you are?" I challenged.

We got there quickly, and I eased off the road and parked the car off to the side. There was a small driveway, but it looked pretty icy, so I didn't bother.

"Where are we?" Violet asked as Bella turned and helped her put her mittens and hat on.

"This is my land," I explained as the three of us got out of the car. "I wanted you to see it, because one day it'll be yours."

She was quiet for a moment, looking around. There was snow on the ground, and a little ice, but the clearing was still beautiful. In the summer and spring it was a flower filled meadow, and Bella and I had spent countless afternoons out here. It had originally been my intention to build a house out here and start a family, but now I didn't know what I would do with the land. Likely it would sit empty, and it would be passed on to my daughter.

"There's nothing here," Violet finally said.

"Someday there could be," Bella told her, but she looked at me as she said it.

"But we live in Chicago," Violet pointed out.

"Well, even if your dad never builds something here, you could."

"I think I'd still like to build here," I said, making my mind up then and there. "Someday."

Bella looked a little surprised, but in a good way. "It's beautiful here."

We stood there for a while, my arm around Bella and Violet clinging to both of us. Despite the chill in the air and the empty land in front of us, it felt good. Knowing that we could plan for a future meant a lot to me. I liked living in Chicago, and had Bella's company and Violet's schooling to think about, but Bella and I had talked about coming back to Forks. Not for good, but for long weekends or summer trips. It would be nice to not have to stay with either of our parents, to have a place here to call our own.

… …

I was at the diner, picking up dinner for the family when I heard my name being called.

"Edward."

Lauren stood there, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I thought that was you."

"Hey," I said, unsure of how to greet her. I settled for a half hug, then stepped back. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah, you too. What are you doing back?"

"Eh, we're just here for the weekend," I explained. "Heading back to Chicago tomorrow."

"I see. How's…your daughter? And work?"

"Both good. Great, really," I said honestly. "You?"

"Work is good. I'm going well. I…I heard you and Bella are back together."

She didn't look angry, which didn't surprise me given how she reacted when we broke up and she said that Bella Swan had always been in our relationship, even before I really realized it.

"We are," I confirmed. "It…wasn't really planned. I didn't think it would ever happen, I mean."

"Everyone always said you guys were meant to be," Lauren said with a sad smile. "I'm glad you're happy, Edward. And that you're doing well."

"You too, Lauren. Really. You deserve it."

My takeout order came up, and I gave her another hug before we said goodbye.

I was happy with Bella, and never wanted to be apart from her again, but seeing Lauren gave me closure that I hadn't even realized I needed. I felt like I had treated her so badly, and seeing that she was probably better off without me meant that we really had made the right decision in breaking up.

I had always loved Bella, even when I was hurt and angry and tried to convince myself that we no longer had a chance. Once I had thought that without Violet, we would have nothing holding us together. But now I knew that wasn't true- even though I still thought Violet was our path back to each other, the love had never gone away. It had been hidden and beaten down, but was always there.

Broken hearts, secrets, distance and time had worked against us, and choices we both made changed our lives forever. But loving each other had never been a choice. It just was.

… …

 **Home from vacation now! Took the longest nap of my life earlier today and it felt so good.**

 **See you guys soon for the next chapter! I work night shifts this weekend so I'm planning on posting the final chapter either Saturday or Sunday. Of course, if anything changes I'll post on facebook.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! Thanks for much for tuning in for the last chapter. Crazy, isn't it?! I'm so glad you took the time to read this story and stuck with me until the very end. I have another story in the works (of course lol) but it's in the super early stages and I'm going to be just focusing on** _ **Me and You**_ **for the foreseeable future. Of course, when I get further on my next story I'll post on facebook, so if you haven't added me and would like to, my profile is Cynosure Fanfic.**

 **Thanks again times a million, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter! It's a long one so buckle up!**

… …

 _ **Edward Cullen, Fourteen Months Later**_

I noticed Bella acting differently, but I tried not to focus on it. After all, we were both busy. I had just gotten accepted into Loyola's nurse practitioner program a few weeks ago and was preparing for that, and her makeup line had just been picked up by a large online beauty retailer, giving them more exposure and business than ever before. Violet was almost done with first grade now, and although she was our pride and joy, she was also a handful more often than not. But we were happy and thriving.

Even so, our relationship wasn't always easy, and we both continued to battle some demons. At first, when we struggled, both of us had tended to close off and that caused even more problems. It took a lot of fights and then finally the introduction of couples counseling to break that chain. Now I felt like we more solid than ever, and I had even moved in with Violet and Bella at the beginning of the year. I knew what the next step was, and I was excited for it. The ring box had been stuffed in my gym bag for almost six months now.

But now something seemed to be bothering Bella, and I didn't know what it was.

"Are you tired, Bella?" I asked, reaching over and brushing some hair out of her eyes. We were sitting on the couch watching a movie with Violet perched between us, and Bella's eyes kept drifting closed even though it was only seven o'clock on a Friday night.

"Kind of," she admitted, snuggling closer to Violet. "I don't know why though."

"Why don't you go to bed?" I suggested. "You've been tired all week."

"Shh," Violet said, her eyes glued to the television.

Bella rolled her eyes, but kissed Violet on the forehead before standing up. "I think I will try and lie down."

"I'll come in to check on you in a little while," I promised, kissing her when she leaned down towards me.

When I came into our room less than an hour later, Bella was asleep sprawled on top of the comforter, still wearing her jeans and flannel shirt. I pressed my hand to her forehead, noting that it didn't feel warm. I did my best to maneuver her so that she was under the blankets, but she woke up before I managed.

"Sorry," I said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," she replied, leaning against my shoulder. "I really don't feel well, though."

I frowned, putting my arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"I just feel so tired, and kind of sick to my stomach," she said. "I haven't felt so crappy since…"

She trailed off, stiffening slightly.

"What?" I asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said immediately. "I'm fine. I just…I just realized my period is late."

Oh. _Oh_.

"How late?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around what she was saying.

"Today's Friday, so only a few days. I'm just not usually late."

"Do you think you might be pregnant?"

She hesitated, then looked up at me with wide eyes. "Yeah, maybe."

We were quiet for a moment, her words sinking in.

She had experienced this feeling before, but I never had. It was surreal, and even though I knew it was just a suspicion and nothing concrete. But in the whole time that we'd been together, she'd never come to me with a 'maybe' before. So the fact that it was happening now seemed much more serious.

"What if I am?" She asked, holding my hand. "I know the timing isn't great with you getting ready to go back to school, but…"

"What? No, no," I said quickly. "There's nothing wrong with the timing. If you are…I'll be incredibly happy. I know it's earlier than we planned, but we've talked about having more kids…and we're good, right? We're at a good place. Happy and healthy."

"Definitely. I just…wow, this feels weird," she said. "To be back here…and to know that if I am, I can't mess things up like I did before."

"Hey," I murmured, slipping my arm around her shoulders. "Don't do that. Don't go back there."

"I know," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I try not to. It's just all coming back to me."

… …

The tests were all positive. I sat on the floor next to Bella, totally overwhelmed by what I was feeling. Being a father was already the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I couldn't wait to do it again.

I tried not to think about it, not only for the sake of our relationship but also for my own benefit, but I knew I hadn't gotten to experience all of this the first time around, and I hated that I had missed out. I wouldn't miss out on anything this time and maybe all those old scars would finally, finally heal for good- once and for all. And for both of us. I understood Bella's guilt, but that didn't mean I wanted her to feel that way. Instead, I wanted us to move on. And this was a chance to do that.

"I love you," Bella whispered, wrapping her arms around my middle.

I kissed her, feeling her tears and feeling some of my own gathering. "I love you, too."

… …

"What do you think, Vi?" I asked, stealing a bite of her ice cream.

"Hey!" She protested, stealing some of mine in retaliation.

"Vi," I prompted, nudging the ring box closer to her. "Come on, tell me what you think."

She looked at it again; touched the center stone with one timid finger. "For mom?"

"Yeah, for your mom. I love her, and I want us to get married. We're already a family, you know, but this is just another part of that."

"Why weren't you getting married before?" She asked, spooning more ice cream into her mouth.

"We needed some more time," I explained, always unsure of how to explain this kind of thing to her. "Everyone does things at their own pace."

"Oh."

She refocused on her ice cream, and we finished eating in relative silence. However, as soon as her spoon clattered into her empty bowl, all bets were off.

"Do you like the ring?"

"Ya," she said enthusiastically. "It's so sparkly."

"It is," I agreed. "Do you think your mom will like it?"

"Mmm hmm. I'd like it more, though," she said, peeking up at me. "Can I have it instead?"

I laughed, reaching over and stroking her curly hair. "I'll get you something of your own," I promised. "But this is for your mom."

"Because you want to marry her."

"Yeah, because I want to marry her," I confirmed. "Does that sound good to you?"

"What will change?" Violet asked.

"Well…not a lot," I admitted. "We'll all still live together. And we'll still love each other and love you. But your mom will have my last name, and so will you. There will be a wedding first though, and I bet you and your mom will get to wear fancy dresses."

"Okay," Violet said, shrugging. "You can get married."

I grinned, but knew there was another part of the plan that would probably prove more challenging. "Good, I'm glad. But Vi…can you keep this a secret?"

"From who?"

"From Mom," I said. "Just until we ask her."

"You haven't asked her yet?!"

"Not yet, I wanted to ask you first," I laughed. "And you and I can ask her together. But when we do, I want it to be a surprise, okay?"

"Okay. A surprise."

… …

There had another surprise, and this one was for Violet. She was enamored with Mary, Alice and Jasper's baby girl, but otherwise there were no other babies in our lives. She had told me once that she liked being the only baby, but Bella was certain she would be excited for a baby brother or sister. I hoped she was right, even though there was nothing we could do if she weren't.

But I shouldn't have worried, because when we told her, she was over the moon.

"Will the baby share my room?" She asked, clapping her hands together. "Will I get to play with her all day?"

"You won't share a room, and we don't know if you'll get a baby brother or a baby sister," Bella said. "He or she won't come for a while."

"How long? Will I get to name the baby? Is there only one?"

The slew of questions continued, and Bella and I were grinning so widely we probably looked like maniacs. But she was happy, and we were _so happy_.

"And I have something for you, Vi," I said, reaching into my sweatshirt pocket. There were two rings there, but I picked the smaller one first and held it out.

"Wow. I can't believe you kept that," Bella said, tears welling up in her eyes. I couldn't decide if it was the hormones or the sentimental factor, but I kissed her all the same.

"Couldn't get rid of it," I admitted, looking down at the small gold ring.

"Let me see," Violet demanded.

I showed it to her, and winked when she met my gaze.

"I want to give it to Vi," I said to Bella. "Even though it's going to be too big for a while."

"Oh, I think that's great," Bella said. "That used to be mine, Blossom."

"Now it's mine," Violet said with a huge smile, not missing a beat. She held it carefully when I held it out to her, examining it closely and admiring the small stone. "I love it."

I watched her with it for a moment, and then Bella helped her put it on the chain I had bought and fastened it around her neck. "I bought that for your mom a long time ago," I told Violet. "I gave it to her because I wanted her to know that one day, I'd like to put _another_ ring on her finger and marry her. Because I loved her, and I _still_ love her. It's been a long time since I gave the ring to her, but you know what, Vi? That hasn't changed."

Bella brought her hand up to her mouth as I reached into my pocket for the remaining ring and handed it to Violet, too.

"Mom?" Violet asked, holding the ring out to her, just like I had asked her to do. "Will you marry Dad?"

I felt like this had been a long time coming, and I had been sure I already knew her answer, but hearing her say yes was an amazing feeling. She took the ring from Violet and let me help her put it on, and be both kissed Violet before kissing each other.

"I love you, so much," Bella murmured. "Thank you…for everything."

… …

"When do you want to get married?" I asked later that night as Bella and I laid in bed. Her naked skin was soft against mine, and I couldn't get enough of her. Knowing that she was having my baby and agreed to marry me just…made it that much better.

"I don't know, what do you think?" She asked, kissing the bare skin of my shoulder once, then twice. She seemed just as insatiable as I was now that she wasn't dealing with feeling so tired and sick.

It had only been six weeks since we had found out, and she was twelve weeks along now. Less than halfway, but it felt monumental. I loved the soft curve of her belly, which she swore had appeared so much sooner than it had with Violet. She said this pregnancy was so different than the first, and so some of it was new to both of us.

"Well, before or after baby is born?"

"After," Bella said immediately. "We only have six months to go until then."

"Wow," I said, staring up at the ceiling. "In six months, we'll have a baby." I touched her stomach, excited for when we'd actually feel movement there instead of just skin. "Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

Bella laughed, covering my hand with hers. "You're full of questions tonight. I don't know…this pregnancy is so different, maybe it's a boy."

"Do you want a boy?"

"I just want a healthy baby."

"Well, yeah, but…come on. Do you have a preference?"

"What, does that mean you do?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

I shrugged, knowing she had me pegged. "A boy would be…good. Different, I mean. But a girl would be good, too. Violet 2.0."

"Don't say that," Bella groaned, elbowing me. "We'd never be able to handle two of her."

… …

Wedding plans were tentatively set for the following winter, almost two years from now. Neither of us minded the wait, though, because like I had told Violet, not a lot would really be changing just by us getting married. However, our lives would change immensely before that, when the baby came. _That_ would be our life changing moment, and the wedding would be icing on the cake.

Violet was excited for both- to be a big sister and to be in the wedding.

By the time of the wedding, the house we would be building in Forks would be complete.

My grandfather had left me the land when he had died- more than ten years ago now. The plans I'd once had for the land had fell through, but now there was a better plan. We didn't want to relocate to Forks, but the three bedroom house we were building would perfect for long weekends and for the wedding. It would be mostly family, and then Bella and I would spend the week there alone while Violet and the baby stayed with their grandparents. It wasn't a grand getaway- our kids would, after all, be just a few miles away. But it was what we wanted and therefore it would be perfect.

… …

Every step of Bella's pregnancy was absolutely fascinating to me. She laughed at my obsession with baby books, but Violet loved it when I'd read her some of the tamer parts.

"Nineteen weeks is the halfway mark of a pregnancy," I read. "The baby is about eight and a half ounces and six inches long. The brain is designating specialized areas for the senses, so smell, touch, hearing, vision, and taste are forming more." I paused, squeezing Violet's side. "The baby is starting to be able to hear us," I explained. "And soon you'll be able to feel the baby move."

Bella had felt the baby move for the first time recently, so I was eagerly waiting to be able to feel it, too. I spent incredible amounts of time with my textbooks for school in front of me but one hand on Bella's stomach, anticipating that first kick. Luckily Bella found it endearing, and hadn't gotten sick of it…yet. Violet was almost as excited for it, but she had been disappointed when Bella and I decided we didn't want to learn the sex of the baby.

When she was pregnant with Violet, Bella hadn't opted for the surprise. She had found out as early as possible. This time, we wanted to experience it together and not until he or she was born. Violet couldn't be convinced that was such a great idea, but obviously there was nothing she could do about it other than pester us every once and a while.

Bella and I had asked her opinion on a few names, but nothing was set in stone. All we had for now was the last mine- mine. It reminded me that Violet was a Swan, and it didn't feel right to me that the new baby would be a Cullen while Violet was not. It probably wasn't as big as a deal as I was making it out to be, but Bella had agreed with I had brought up changing Violet's last name now. Around this time next year, all four of us would share a name and we'd be on to start the next adventure.

… …

"Edward."

I jolted awake, sitting up immediately. "What?!"

"Shh," Bella murmured, reaching for my hand and placing it on her stomach.

It was the middle of the night, probably around two o'clock. But I didn't care when I felt a little nudge against my hand.

"Holy shit," I whispered, suddenly wide awake. I pressed my hand down harder, feeling more movements in return.

Bella's hand covered mine, and she laced our fingers together. "You feel it?"

"Yeah. It's…incredible. Thanks for waking me up."

"Of course. It is incredible, isn't it?"

We laid back down, and fell asleep with our hands still joined over baby.

… …

I had wanted to experience and soak up every single moment of Bella's pregnancy, but nothing compared to when the nurse put the baby in my arms for the first time.

He had come just a little early, and was small. But he was strong and healthy and perfect. I didn't waste a moment, placing him on Bella's chest and seeing the beautiful sight of her getting to hold him for the first time. She kissed his head then looked up at me, smiling through happy tears.

I was crying too, but kissed him on the head too before finding her mouth and kissing her soundly.

Once Bella was settled into the maternity suite, we got the all clear to bring Violet in.

She could hardly contain her excitement when I went to get her out of the waiting room, and she practically flew into my arms.

"You've got a baby brother, Vi," I said, spinning her around.

The whole family cheered, congratulating us and passing out the blue suckers my sister had brought along. I teased her that maybe she could save the pink ones for when her baby came, in just a few months.

"Is the baby small?" Violet asked, tightening her arms around my neck.

She was big, but I didn't mind carrying her for this. Her legs weren't so small anymore, and she was growing like a weed. But she was my little girl, and she was excited for her baby brother.

"Hi, Blossom," Bella said as soon as I brought Violet into the room. I set her down on her own two feet and watched as she went to meet her brother for the first time.

Seeing them together was beautiful, and the look I exchanged with Bella told me she felt the same way.

"His name is Benjamin," Bella told Violet. "Benjamin Lane."

"That's part of my name!"

"It is. Is it okay with you if Ben shares it with you?" I asked, sitting on the chair next to the bed and pulling her into my lap.

"Ya. I'll share lots of stuff with him."

"Good, I'm glad," Bella said, smiling at our girl. "You're such a good big sister, Vi."

She was. Over the course of the years, she would prove to be the best big sister to Ben and then eventually Matt and Grace. We built our family slowly, not welcoming Matt until three years after we were married and then Grace almost two years after that.

Building a life together meant that the past was pushed even further from our minds. Instead we focused on our children and our marriage.

We both still made bad choices- all the time. Parenting was never easy, and neither was marriage. We messed up and fought and struggled. We worried about our kids and hoped we were raising them right. But we had each other to fall back on.

Some of our choices in life had driven us apart. They had caused us to hurt each other and inflict damage that had once seemed impossible to overcome. But they had also brought us back together, and gave us our family. In the end, we just chose to be happy.

… …

 **Love all of you! I hope you enjoyed. Marking this one complete now- let me know what you thought and I'll see you either for the next one or for the next chapter of** _ **Me and You.**_


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